In response to a question from the BBC regarding where the study of Artificial Intelligence is heading... 'Intelligence' has first to be defined before being used in issues regarding 'automatons' and man-made artifacts. Is a machine really intelligent? Or is it simply appearing to be intelligent? A bacteria may be capable of recoiling from certain stimulus by communicating chemically with its surroundings, therefore giving the appearance of 'intelligence', but could this be also a pre-programmed reaction? If so, is the bacteria really intelligent - or is it the constantly evolving DNA that's the real intelligence? Analogous, the same argument lies for man with machine, where man plays the part of the DNA and the machine becomes the 'creature' as a whole. To an outside observer the machine would act 'intelligently', but to an inside observer (of which we are) we would know the truth - that it's an illusion and the actual intelligence is ourselves. Therefore, I'm not so sure about artificial intelligence. However, an opposing argument could also be brought forth. Modern research upon the brain suggests thought processes and conciousness in particular are formed from three dimensional patterns of neurons firing - in this case it's the actual patterns that are important and not the neurons themselves. As Nature is basically a vast fractal, if you take the brain - its appearance and connections, and enlarge them you get a forest. To explain - forests are made up of huge networks of Mycelial networks (the essence of the mushroom) an inch or so under the ground, connecting each and every tree in a symbiotic relationship. Theoretically speaking if you were to enter a forest, the trees 15 miles away could become chemically aware of your presence via the mycelial network. People throughout history have revered the might of a forest, of its unique qualities - as though the trees are aware of your presence, and perhaps they are. If three-dimensional networks can produce conciousness - as in the brain and perhaps the forest - could the same thing be happening very slowly over the World Wide Web? It's basically the same system - only the information is digital rather than analog (this may be the important difference). There is the same multi-connected network - and a whole plethora of data entering it. If the www is becoming conscious then that would certainly affirm artificial intelligence as a reality. It's a very complex subject - one that's hard to pin down as there is still too much debate over 'intelligence'. I myself do not understand the term 'artificial intelligence' - if it's artificial it's fake - and if it's fake it can't be genuinely intelligent. The term 'cybernetic intelligence' perhaps...?