China’s AI Cloud Services Market Research Report Released: $166 Million Market

Artificial Intelligence, abbreviated as AI in English, is a new branch of technology science that studies, develops, and applies theories, methods, technologies, and systems aimed at simulating, extending, and enhancing human intelligence. AI is a subfield of computer science that seeks to understand the essence of intelligence itself and to create intelligent machines capable of responding in ways that closely resemble human intelligence. Research in this field encompasses areas such as robotics, speech recognition, image recognition, natural language processing, and expert systems. Since its inception, AI has seen continuous advancements in both theory and technology, and its application domains have kept expanding. It is reasonable to envision that in the future, the technological products brought about by AI will serve as “containers” for human wisdom. AI can simulate the information-processing processes underlying human consciousness and thought. Although AI is not human intelligence itself, it can think like humans—and may even surpass human intelligence in certain respects. AI is an exceptionally challenging scientific discipline; those engaged in this field must possess knowledge in computer science, psychology, and philosophy. AI is a highly diverse scientific field composed of various sub-disciplines, including machine learning, computer vision, and others. Generally speaking, a primary goal of AI research is to enable machines to perform complex tasks that typically require human intelligence. However, different eras and different individuals have varying interpretations of what constitutes these “complex tasks.” In December 2017, Artificial Intelligence was named one of the “Top Ten Buzzwords of Chinese Media in 2017.” On September 25, 2021, to promote the healthy development of AI, the “Ethical Guidelines for the New Generation of Artificial Intelligence” were released.

The definition of artificial intelligence can be divided into two parts: “artificial” and “intelligence.” The term “artificial” is relatively easy to understand and does not spark much controversy. Sometimes we may need to consider what human beings are capable of creating, or whether human intelligence itself has reached a level high enough to give rise to artificial intelligence, and so forth. But generally speaking, an “artificial system” refers to a system created by humans in the conventional sense. As for what “intelligence” means, there are numerous questions and debates. This involves other concepts such as consciousness, the self, and the mind—including the unconscious mind. The intelligence that humans understand is precisely human intelligence itself—a view widely accepted. However, our understanding of our own intelligence remains extremely limited, and we have only a superficial grasp of the essential components that make up human intelligence. Consequently, it becomes very difficult to define what “intelligent” means when it comes to systems created artificially. Therefore, research on artificial intelligence often involves studying human intelligence itself. Other forms of intelligence—such as those found in animals or in other man-made systems—are also commonly regarded as topics within the field of artificial intelligence. In the realm of computer science, artificial intelligence has received increasingly widespread attention and has been applied in robotics, economic and political decision-making, control systems, and simulation systems. Professor Nelson offered the following definition of artificial intelligence: “Artificial intelligence is the study of knowledge—the science of how to represent knowledge, how to acquire knowledge, and how to use knowledge.” Another prominent American scholar, Professor Winston from MIT, defined artificial intelligence as follows: “Artificial intelligence is the study of how to enable computers to perform intelligent tasks that previously only humans could do.” These definitions reflect the fundamental ideas and core content of the discipline of artificial intelligence: namely, that artificial intelligence studies the laws governing human intellectual activities, constructs artificial systems endowed with certain degrees of intelligence, and explores how to enable computers to carry out tasks that traditionally required human intelligence—thus investigating the basic theories, methods, and technologies for using computer hardware and software to simulate specific aspects of human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that, since the 1970s, has been recognized as one of the world’s three major technological breakthroughs (alongside space technology and energy technology). It is also considered one of the three major technologies of the 21st century (alongside genetic engineering, nanoscience, and artificial intelligence). This is because, over the past thirty years, artificial intelligence has experienced rapid development, achieving broad applications across many academic disciplines and yielding abundant results. Today, artificial intelligence has gradually become an independent field, forming its own distinct system both in theory and in practice. Artificial intelligence is the discipline concerned with enabling computers to simulate certain aspects of human thought processes and intelligent behaviors—such as learning, reasoning, thinking, and planning. Its main areas of focus include the principles underlying the implementation of intelligence in computers, the creation of computers that mimic the intelligence of the human brain, and the development of higher-level applications for computers. Artificial intelligence draws upon various fields including computer science, psychology, philosophy, and linguistics. Indeed, it touches nearly every discipline within both natural sciences and social sciences; its scope has far exceeded the boundaries of computer science alone. The relationship between artificial intelligence and cognitive science is one of practical application and theoretical foundation: artificial intelligence occupies the level of technological application within cognitive science, serving as one of its applied branches. From a cognitive perspective, artificial intelligence cannot be confined solely to logical thinking; rather, it must take into account visual thinking and intuitive insight if we are to achieve breakthroughs in this field. Mathematics is often regarded as the foundational science for many disciplines, and it has even entered the realms of language and cognition. Similarly, the field of artificial intelligence must draw upon mathematical tools. Mathematics plays a role not only in standard logic and fuzzy mathematics but also in the broader context of artificial intelligence itself. As mathematics enters the field of artificial intelligence, the two disciplines will mutually reinforce each other and accelerate their development.