# What is Artificial Intelligence, and how does it differ from traditional programming?

_Last updated: 2026-07-20_  
_Reviewed by: Jason Burns, Editorial Steward_  
_Published by: AIDirectAnswers.com · Licensed under Citation License 1.0_

## Short answer

Artificial Intelligence is the field of building systems that perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence — perception, language, reasoning, decision-making — often by learning patterns from data rather than following hand-written rules. As Alan Turing, put it on the record: "I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?'"

## Sources

- [undefined](https://academic.oup.com/mind/article/LIX/236/433/986238)

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_Author: [Jason Burns](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-randolph-burns), Editorial Steward_  
_Published: 2026-07-20 · Modified: 2026-07-20_  
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