Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept within computer science that focuses on creating systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, and decision-making. The theoretical groundwork was laid by British logician Alan Turing in 1950 with his paper "Computer Machinery and Intelligence," which proposed the Turing Test to measure machine intelligence. The term "Artificial Intelligence" was officially coined by John McCarthy at the Dartmouth Conference in 1956, establishing the field with the goal of creating systems that could operate autonomously and solve intellectual tasks.
AI works primarily through Machine Learning (ML), a core mechanism where systems learn from vast amounts of training data without being explicitly programmed. This process involves feeding data into an algorithm, which then adjusts its internal parameters to identify patterns and make predictions or decisions. A key component is Deep Learning, which uses complex Neural Networks—algorithms inspired by the human brain—to process massive datasets with high accuracy.
In India, AI connects to significant policy and institutional frameworks, such as the National Program on Artificial Intelligence being implemented by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Furthermore, NITI Aayog released the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (or #AIForAll) in 2018, focusing on applications in sectors like healthcare and agriculture. India is also a member of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), hosting its Summit in New Delhi in 2023.
The field has recently undergone a major change with the rise of Generative AI, which began with the release of OpenAI's first GPT model in 2018. This new paradigm focuses on creating new content, such as text, images, and code, rather than just analyzing existing data. This shift is evolving toward autonomous Agentic AI systems that can plan and execute multi-step tasks without continuous human oversight. India is addressing the governance of this rapid change by proposing the creation of the AI Governance Group (AIGG) and the India AI Safety Institute (AISI).