The Role of Experimentation in Artificial Intelligence

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A. 1994 349 1689. Intelligence is a complex, natural phenomenon exhibited by humans and many other living things, without sharply defined boundaries between intelligent and unintelligent behaviour. Artificial inteliigence focuses on the phenomenon of intelligent behaviour, in humans or machines. Experimentation with computer programs allows us to manipulate their design and intervene in the environmental conditions in ways that are not possible with humans. Thus, experimentation can help us to understand what principles govern intelligent action and what mechanisms are sufficient for computers to replicate intelligent behaviours.