Consider this -- Robots will one day be able to write poetry and prose so touching that it will make men weep compose symphonies that rival the work of Mozart judge a court case with absolute impartiality and fairness converse with the natural ease of your best friend. Robots will one day be so life-like that a human could fall in love and marry one. Thought Provoking and controversial? Certainly. Farfetched? Not at all. In the 50 years since the inception of Artificial Intelligence, computer scientists have made remarkable achievements that can be seen in computer games, childrens toys, your home PC and nearly every facet of human life. In this popular approach to understanding AI, David Levy captures the essence, excitement and potential of Artificial Intelligence. He lays the factual foundations for his intriguing speculations by presenting the history of AI from its earliest conception to present day. He then considers the most recent advances and makes predictions about the future of this burgeoning science.