In everyday use, AI stands for artificial intelligence: the ability of a computer, robot or software to perform tasks like human learning and decision making, such as recognising speech. That's Dictionary.com's definition, and it's the meaning you'll meet most often, though the same two letters have a few other uses.
John McCarthy, who named the field, put it more simply in his FAQ at Stanford: AI is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.
Other meanings of AI
Context matters, because the letters cover more than technology. Dictionary.com and Wikipedia list these:
| AI can mean | Listed by |
|---|---|
| Artificial intelligence | Dictionary.com, Wikipedia |
| Amnesty International | Dictionary.com |
| Army intelligence | Dictionary.com |
| Artificial insemination | Dictionary.com |
| Anguilla | Collins, via Dictionary.com |
| Ad interim (a.i.), in job titles | Wikipedia |
And in lowercase, ai is a word in its own right: a three-toed sloth. Dictionary.com traces it to Portuguese and Tupi.
The name came first, the letters later
Here's a detail worth knowing. McCarthy named artificial intelligence for the 1956 Dartmouth project, and Wikipedia dates the academic discipline to that same year. Yet Dictionary.com says the abbreviation AI was first recorded between 1960 and 1965. So the full name came first, and the two letters followed a few years later. The full story is in our page on who invented AI.
Telling which AI someone means
In a tech, business or marketing conversation, it's artificial intelligence. If you see "a.i." after a job title, it's most likely ad interim. In other settings, check the table above before you assume. If you're new to the tech meaning, our AI glossary for business owners explains the terms that come with it, and what GPT stands for covers another acronym you'll meet.
What AI stands for: quick answers
What does AI stand for in tech?
Artificial intelligence, according to Dictionary.com.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
What else can AI stand for?
Dictionary.com lists Amnesty International, army intelligence and artificial insemination; Collins adds Anguilla; Wikipedia lists ad interim in job titles.
Who named artificial intelligence?
John McCarthy, for the 1956 Dartmouth project.
What does ai mean as a lowercase word?
A three-toed sloth, according to Dictionary.com.
The plain answer
AI means artificial intelligence unless the context clearly says otherwise. That's it. If you want to go a step further than the acronym, start with our beginners' guide to what AI is and how it works.
