Why we need a legal definition of artificial intelligence

When we talk about artificial intelligence (AI) – which we have done lot recently, including my outline on The Conversation of liability and regulation issues – what do we actually mean? AI experts and philosophers are beavering away on the issue. But having a usable definition of AI – and soon – is vital for regulation and governance because laws and policies simply will not operate without one. This definition problem crops up in all regulatory contexts, from ensuring truthful use of the term "AI" in product advertising right through to establishing how next-generation automated weapons systems (AWSs) are treated under the laws of war. True, we may eventually need more than one definition (just as "goodwill" means different things in different contexts). But we have to start somewhere so, in the absence of a regulatory definition at the moment, let's get the ball rolling.