CMSC 471 - Fall 2008

Homework 1

Read "What is AI?" (http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai.pdf) and answer the following questions. Provide thoughtful and legible responses. This is not a quiz to see if you read the paper; these questions are asking you to give your own input about what you are thinking. Do not simply repeat what McCarthy wrote.

1. In what ways does AI, as described in this paper, differ from your preconceptions of AI? Where did you get these preconceptions (specifically)?

2. Why is intelligence often defined in context of human intelligence? Would such concepts such as "creativity", "consciousness", "problem-solving", "memory", etc. exist if humans weren't around to define them (i.e., do these things exist outside of intelligence as we know it)?

3. Do you think human-level AI will be ever achieved? Do you think it is possible? Why?