AI's New New Age // FABERNOVEL

Yet, this very topical subject is a problem for a simple reason: the debate on what artificial intelligence will or should become and lead to is too seldom accompanied by an explanation of what it is, or rather of what the concept covers. This was the starting point of FABERNOVEL's decision to write this essay and study the past, present and future of artificial intelligence. It is anything but a trivial starting point, as anyone keeping an eye on AI developments quickly discovers. Defining AI is more than essential for anyone willing to grasp what is at stake: it is the source of fiery debates on a topic that can be a field, a trend, an opportunity or a threat but is above all an academic field with a short yet rich 60-year long history. It is a field whose main characteristic is to be prone to, and torn apart by, ceaseless paradoxes. Getting immersed in artificial intelligence quickly leads to a first obvious conclusion: there is – nor ever was there – a standardized and globally accepted definition for what it is.