AI Effect

The AI effect describes how advances in artificial intelligence lead to a redefinition of intelligence, with successful AI systems reclassified as routine computation. Historian Pamela McCorduck noted in her 2004 book 'Machines Who Think' that once a problem is solved, it is no longer considered evidence of intelligence, and researcher Rodney Brooks observed in 2002 that understood systems are often regarded as 'just computation'. The phenomenon is exemplified by IBM's Deep Blue defeating Garry Kasparov in 1997, which critics attributed to brute-force methods rather than genuine understanding.

AI effect | Part of | Artificial intelligence AI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial intelligence Glossary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary of artificial intelligence The AI effect is a phenomenon in which advances in artificial intelligence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial intelligence lead to a redefinition of what is considered intelligence, such that capabilities achieved by AI systems are no longer regarded as examples of "real" intelligence. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 The concept has been used to describe both a cognitive tendency and a sociotechnical pattern, in which successful AI techniques are reclassified as routine computation or absorbed into other domains. 2 cite note-henke-2 Historian Pamela McCorduck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela McCorduck described this as a recurring feature of AI research, noting in her 2004 book Machines Who Think that once a problem is solved, it is no longer considered evidence of intelligence. 3 Researcher Rodney Brooks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney Brooks similarly observed in 2002 that once systems are understood, they are often regarded as "just computation". 4 cite note-4 Definition edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=1 The AI effect refers to a shift in how intelligence is defined as machines acquire new capabilities. Tasks such as playing chess, recognizing speech https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech recognition , or interpreting images were historically considered indicators of intelligence, but after successful automation they are often reclassified as routine computation. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 McCorduck described this as an "odd paradox", in which successful AI systems are assimilated into other domains, leaving AI researchers to focus on unsolved problems. 5 The phenomenon is often interpreted as an instance of moving the goalposts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving the goalposts . 6 cite note-nadin-6 A commonly cited formulation is Tesler's theorem , often expressed as "AI is whatever hasn't been done yet". 7 cite note-7 When problems are not fully formalised, they may be described using models involving human computation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human computation , such as human-assisted Turing machines https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing machine . 8 cite note-8 Historical examples edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=2 Game playing edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=3 Early AI systems capable of playing games such as checkers and chess were initially regarded as demonstrations of machine intelligence. As these systems improved and became better understood, their achievements were often reinterpreted as examples of computation rather than intelligence. 9 cite note-mcc3-9 The victory of IBM's Deep Blue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep Blue chess computer over Garry Kasparov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry Kasparov in 1997 is a frequently cited example. Critics argued that the system relied on brute-force methods rather than genuine understanding. 9 cite note-mcc3-9 Pattern recognition edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=4 Technologies such as optical character recognition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical character recognition and speech recognition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech recognition were once considered core problems in artificial intelligence. As these systems became reliable and widely deployed, they were increasingly treated as standard engineering solutions. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 Integration into applications edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=5 Many techniques originally developed within AI research have been incorporated into broader technological systems, including marketing, automation, and software applications. 2 cite note-henke-2 Michael Swaine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael Swaine technical author reported in 2007 that AI advances are often presented as developments in other fields. 10 cite note-10 Marvin Minsky https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin Minsky observed that successful AI innovations often evolve into separate disciplines. 11 cite note-11 Nick Bostrom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick Bostrom noted in 2006 that widely adopted technologies are often no longer labeled as AI. 12 cite note-12 Contemporary discussion edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=6 The AI effect continues to be discussed in the context of recent advances in machine learning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine learning , particularly large language models https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large language models and other generative AI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generative AI systems. As these systems have become more widely used, some researchers and commentators have noted that their capabilities are frequently described as statistical or mechanical once understood, rather than as intelligence. 13 For instance, different combinations of human and AI action in workflows can be considered "augmented intelligence" and specific weights within various combinations of augmentation should be used to define ethical and practical considerations contextually for those workflows. 14 cite note-14 A 2016 survey of artificial intelligence also noted that AI systems are increasingly embedded in everyday applications, reinforcing earlier observations that successful AI technologies tend to become normalized and no longer identified as AI. 15 cite note-15 At the same time, the widespread commercial use of artificial intelligence has led to greater visibility of the field, contrasting with earlier periods in which AI techniques were often present but unacknowledged. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 Interpretations edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=7 Cognitive bias edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=8 Some authors describe the AI effect as a cognitive bias in which expectations of intelligence shift as machines achieve new capabilities. 2 cite note-henke-2 Sociotechnical perspective edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=9 Another interpretation emphasizes how technologies are reclassified over time as they become widespread and commercially successful. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 Philosophical debate edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=10 Some philosophers argue that reclassification reflects genuine conceptual distinctions rather than bias. 6 cite note-nadin-6 Historical context edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=11 During periods such as the AI winter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI winter , researchers sometimes avoided the term "artificial intelligence" due to negative perceptions. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 In the 21st century, however, the term "AI" has become widely used in public discourse and marketing. 1 cite note-haenlein-1 Broader implications edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=12 The AI effect has been linked to broader questions about human uniqueness and the nature of intelligence. Michael Kearns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael Kearns computer scientist suggested that people may seek to preserve a special role for humans. 16 cite note-16 Similar patterns have been observed in studies of animal cognition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal cognition . Herbert A. Simon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert A. Simon noted that artificial intelligence can provoke strong emotional reactions. 17 cite note-17 See also edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=13 References edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=14 1 cite ref-haenlein 1-0 2 cite ref-haenlein 1-1 3 cite ref-haenlein 1-2 4 cite ref-haenlein 1-3 5 cite ref-haenlein 1-4 6 cite ref-haenlein 1-5 7 cite ref-haenlein 1-6 Haenlein, Michael; Kaplan, Andreas 2019 . "A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: On the Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Intelligence". California Management Review . 61 4 : 5–14. doi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi identifier : 10.1177/0008125619864925 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0008125619864925 . 1 cite ref-henke 2-0 2 cite ref-henke 2-1 3 cite ref-henke 2-2 "AI Glossary" https://web.archive.org/web/20080509132655/http://www.stottlerhenke.com/ai general/glossary.htm . Stottler Henke Associates. Archived from the original http://www.stottlerhenke.com/ai general/glossary.htm on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 20 March 2026. ↑ cite ref-mcc1 3-0 McCorduck, Pamela 2004 . Machines Who Think 2nd ed. . A. K. Peters. p. 204. ↑ cite ref-4 Kahn, Jennifer March 2002 . "It's Alive" https://www.wired.com/2002/03/everywhere/ . Wired . Retrieved 20 March 2026. ↑ cite ref-mcc2 5-0 McCorduck, Pamela 2004 . Machines Who Think 2nd ed. . A. K. Peters. p. 423. 1 cite ref-nadin 6-0 2 cite ref-nadin 6-1 Nadin, Mihai 2023 . "Intelligence at any price? A criterion for defining AI". AI & Society . 38 5 : 1813–1817. doi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi identifier : 10.1007/s00146-023-01695-0 https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00146-023-01695-0 . ↑ cite ref-7 Hofstadter, Douglas 1980 . Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid . Basic Books. p. 601. ↑ cite ref-8 Shahaf, Dafna; Amir, Eyal 2007 . "Towards a theory of AI completeness" https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070824040343/http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/~eyal/papers/ai-complete-commonsense07.pdf PDF . Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Logical Formalizations of Commonsense Reasoning Commonsense 2007 . Archived from the original http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/~eyal/papers/ai-complete-commonsense07.pdf PDF on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2026-03-20. 1 cite ref-mcc3 9-0 2 cite ref-mcc3 9-1 McCorduck, Pamela 2004 . Machines Who Think 2nd ed. . A. K. Peters. p. 433. ↑ cite ref-10 Swaine, Michael. "AI – It's OK Again " http://philippe.ameline.free.fr/techtreads/070905 AiOkAgain.htm . Retrieved 20 March 2026. ↑ cite ref-11 Minsky, Marvin. "The Age of Intelligent Machines: Thoughts About Artificial Intelligence" https://web.archive.org/web/20090628081048/http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0100.html?printable=1 . Archived from the original http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0100.html?printable=1 on 2009-06-28. Retrieved 20 March 2026. ↑ cite ref-12 "AI set to exceed human brain power" https://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/07/24/ai.bostrom/ . CNN . 2006-08-09. Retrieved 2026-04-27. ↑ cite ref-13 Bommasani, Rishi 2021 . On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.07258 Report . Stanford Center for Research on Foundation Models. ↑ cite ref-14 Wells, Joshua; VanderVeen, James 2026 . "An Anthropological Understanding of Artificial Intelligence Transformations in Civic and Domestic Life, Labor, and Higher Education Through the Cybernetic Organism Cyborg Concept" https://www.proquest.com/openview/639ef067e3f8c2598a88bcf491d198b1 . Maguare . 40 1 : 157–184 – via ProQuest. ↑ cite ref-15 Stone, Peter 2016 . Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030 https://ai100.stanford.edu/2016-report Report . Stanford University. ↑ cite ref-16 Flam, Faye January 15, 2004 . "A new robot makes a leap in brainpower". Philadelphia Inquirer . ↑ cite ref-17 Hann, Reuben L. 1998 . "A Conversation with Herbert Simon". Gateway . Further reading edit /w/index.php?title=AI effect&action=edit§ion=15 - McCorduck, Pamela 2004 . Machines Who Think . - Hofstadter, Douglas 1980 . Gödel, Escher, Bach . - Phillips, Everard M. 1999 . PDF Thesis . MIT. If It Works, It's Not AI