Read "Funding a Revolution: Government Support for Computing Research" at NAP.edu

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been one of the most controversial domains of inquiry in computer science since it was first proposed in the 1950s. Defined as the part of computer science concerned with designing systems that exhibit the characteristics associated with human intelligence--understanding language, learning, reasoning, solving problems, and so on (Barr and Feigenbaum, 1981)--the field has attracted researchers because of its ambitious goals and enormous underlying intellectual challenges. The field has been controversial because of its social, ethical, and philosophical implications. Such controversy has affected the funding environment for AI and the objectives of many research programs. AI research is conducted by a range of scientists and technologists with varying perspectives, interests, and motivations.