Artificial intelligence (AI) focuses on three key cognitive skills: learning, reasoning, and self-correction, enabling machines to process data, select algorithms, and refine outputs. The document discusses the potential applications of AI, such as creating expert systems, natural language processing, and robotics, while highlighting both advantages (like improving healthcare and companionship) and disadvantages (including job displacement and societal laziness). The concept of AI, first coined by John McCarthy in 1956, continues to evolve, reflecting efforts to develop systems that mimic human reasoning and behavior.