Called AI by followers and practitioners, the field of Artificial Intelligence is dedicated to the proposition that human brains are nothing more than machines, albeit extremely complicated ones, whose abilities will someday be duplicated -- and surpassed -- by computers. This collection of essays discusses the wide spectrum of knowledge compiled on the pursuit of this elusive goal. It includes a fascinating overview of the subject by Douglas B. Lenat, the president of Cycorp, Inc., and a forward-thinking essay on "The Rise of Robots" by Hans Marvec, the principal research scientists at the robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which conservatively estimates that by 2050, robot brains based on computers will start rivaling human intelligence.
Other articles include "Here's Looking at You," which profiles a robot who learns about itself and its env
