ISM 3011 AI Exam Prep 2026-200 Practice Questions | MultipleChoice
| Detailed Rationales
QUESTIONS 1-200
1. According to John McCarthy of Stanford University, artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as:
A. The simulation of human emotions by computer systems
B. The science and engineering of making intelligent machines and intelligent computer programs
C. The replacement of human workers with automated systems
D. The study of computer hardware architecture
Answer: B. The science and engineering of making intelligent machines and intelligent computer
programs
Rationale: John McCarthy, who coined the term "artificial intelligence" and organized the seminal 1956
Dartmouth workshop, defined AI as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines and
intelligent computer programs." This definition distinguishes AI from mere automation and ties it to
replicating intelligent behavior.
2. Most people in artificial intelligence trace the field's official founding to an event that occurred in:
A. 1945 at Harvard University
B. 1950 at Cambridge University
C. 1956 at Dartmouth College
D. 1962 at Stanford University
Answer: C. 1956 at Dartmouth College
Rationale: The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence in 1956 is widely
considered the official founding event of AI as a field. Organized by John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky,
Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon, the workshop brought together pioneers who would define
the field's direction.
,3. The four primary pioneers often called the "big four" founders of AI who met at the Dartmouth
conference were:
A. McCarthy, Minsky, Newell, and Simon
B. Turing, McCarthy, Shannon, and Engelbart
C. Rosenblatt, Minsky, Papert, and Newell
D. McCarthy, Turing, Minsky, and von Neumann
Answer: A. McCarthy, Minsky, Newell, and Simon
Rationale: The Dartmouth conference brought together John McCarthy (coined "AI"), Marvin Minsky
(neural networks and cognitive science), Allen Newell (GPS and cognitive architectures), and Herbert
Simon (decision theory, cognitive psychology). All four made foundational contributions to early AI
research.
4. Which of the following was NOT an outcome of the 1956 Dartmouth conference?
A. The field of AI was named
B. The general goals of the field were outlined
C. Major pioneers met and planned for the future
D. The first working AI model was publicly demonstrated
Answer: D. The first working AI model was publicly demonstrated
Rationale: While the Dartmouth conference was historically significant for naming the field, outlining
goals, and gathering key pioneers, no fully working AI model was demonstrated at the conference. The
conference served more as a planning and vision‑setting meeting than a product showcase.
5. Which of the following best describes "weak AI" (narrow AI)?
A. AI that fails to accomplish its intended tasks
B. AI programmed to perform a single specific task effectively
C. AI that matches human intelligence across all domains
D. AI that relies on outdated hardware and software
Answer: B. AI programmed to perform a single specific task effectively
,Rationale: Weak AI (also called narrow AI) is designed for a single, specific task, such as facial
recognition, playing chess, or language translation. It operates within a limited context and does not
possess general intelligence. Almost every AI application today is narrow AI.
6. Strong AI (general AI) refers to artificial intelligence that:
A. Uses the most advanced algorithms available
B. Is capable of carrying out all tasks that humans can do
C. Focuses exclusively on business applications
D. Requires minimal processing power to operate
Answer: B. Is capable of carrying out all tasks that humans can do
Rationale: Strong AI (also called artificial general intelligence or AGI) would possess the ability to
understand, learn, and apply intelligence across a wide range of tasks at a level comparable to or
exceeding human capabilities. No AGI system currently exists.
7. Which of the following statements about general intelligence is true?
A. General intelligence is about the number of abilities a system possesses
B. General intelligence is about the integration of abilities
C. General intelligence has been achieved by several AI systems
D. General intelligence is irrelevant to AI research
Answer: B. General intelligence is about the integration of abilities
Rationale: General intelligence is not merely about having many abilities, but about integrating them
effectively—transferring learning from one domain to another, adapting to novel situations, and
demonstrating flexible, context‑aware reasoning. This integration remains beyond current AI
capabilities.
8. The phrase "suitcase word" for terms like "intelligence" was coined by which AI pioneer?
A. John McCarthy
B. Marvin Minsky
C. Herbert Simon
, D. Allen Newell
Answer: B. Marvin Minsky
Rationale: Marvin Minsky coined the phrase "suitcase word" to describe terms like intelligence, thinking,
cognition, and consciousness that are "packed like a suitcase with a jumble of different meanings." This
highlights the challenge of precisely defining AI and intelligence.
9. According to a 2016 Stanford report (AI100), why has the lack of a precise definition of AI likely helped
the field?
A. It prevents research from being constrained by narrow definitions
B. It has helped the field grow, blossom, and advance at an ever‑accelerating pace
C. It allows non‑experts to contribute to AI research
D. It ensures funding remains available for diverse projects
Answer: B. It has helped the field grow, blossom, and advance at an ever‑accelerating pace
Rationale: The AI100 report noted that the lack of a precise, universally accepted definition of AI has
likely helped the field by preventing artificial constraints on research directions. Practitioners instead
guide themselves by a "rough sense of direction and an imperative to 'get on with it.'"
10. Which quote best captures the current relationship between deep learning and AI?
A. AI is a subset of deep learning
B. Deep learning is only one approach among many in the field of AI
C. Deep learning and AI are synonymous terms
D. Deep learning has been replaced by symbolic AI
Answer: B. Deep learning is only one approach among many in the field of AI
Rationale: Deep learning has become dominant since the 2010s, but it remains a subset of machine
learning, which is itself a subset of AI. AI includes many other approaches: symbolic AI, expert systems,
genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic, and more. Popular media's equation of AI with deep learning is an
oversimplification.
11. Symbolic AI programs are characterized by:
| Detailed Rationales
QUESTIONS 1-200
1. According to John McCarthy of Stanford University, artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as:
A. The simulation of human emotions by computer systems
B. The science and engineering of making intelligent machines and intelligent computer programs
C. The replacement of human workers with automated systems
D. The study of computer hardware architecture
Answer: B. The science and engineering of making intelligent machines and intelligent computer
programs
Rationale: John McCarthy, who coined the term "artificial intelligence" and organized the seminal 1956
Dartmouth workshop, defined AI as "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines and
intelligent computer programs." This definition distinguishes AI from mere automation and ties it to
replicating intelligent behavior.
2. Most people in artificial intelligence trace the field's official founding to an event that occurred in:
A. 1945 at Harvard University
B. 1950 at Cambridge University
C. 1956 at Dartmouth College
D. 1962 at Stanford University
Answer: C. 1956 at Dartmouth College
Rationale: The Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence in 1956 is widely
considered the official founding event of AI as a field. Organized by John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky,
Nathaniel Rochester, and Claude Shannon, the workshop brought together pioneers who would define
the field's direction.
,3. The four primary pioneers often called the "big four" founders of AI who met at the Dartmouth
conference were:
A. McCarthy, Minsky, Newell, and Simon
B. Turing, McCarthy, Shannon, and Engelbart
C. Rosenblatt, Minsky, Papert, and Newell
D. McCarthy, Turing, Minsky, and von Neumann
Answer: A. McCarthy, Minsky, Newell, and Simon
Rationale: The Dartmouth conference brought together John McCarthy (coined "AI"), Marvin Minsky
(neural networks and cognitive science), Allen Newell (GPS and cognitive architectures), and Herbert
Simon (decision theory, cognitive psychology). All four made foundational contributions to early AI
research.
4. Which of the following was NOT an outcome of the 1956 Dartmouth conference?
A. The field of AI was named
B. The general goals of the field were outlined
C. Major pioneers met and planned for the future
D. The first working AI model was publicly demonstrated
Answer: D. The first working AI model was publicly demonstrated
Rationale: While the Dartmouth conference was historically significant for naming the field, outlining
goals, and gathering key pioneers, no fully working AI model was demonstrated at the conference. The
conference served more as a planning and vision‑setting meeting than a product showcase.
5. Which of the following best describes "weak AI" (narrow AI)?
A. AI that fails to accomplish its intended tasks
B. AI programmed to perform a single specific task effectively
C. AI that matches human intelligence across all domains
D. AI that relies on outdated hardware and software
Answer: B. AI programmed to perform a single specific task effectively
,Rationale: Weak AI (also called narrow AI) is designed for a single, specific task, such as facial
recognition, playing chess, or language translation. It operates within a limited context and does not
possess general intelligence. Almost every AI application today is narrow AI.
6. Strong AI (general AI) refers to artificial intelligence that:
A. Uses the most advanced algorithms available
B. Is capable of carrying out all tasks that humans can do
C. Focuses exclusively on business applications
D. Requires minimal processing power to operate
Answer: B. Is capable of carrying out all tasks that humans can do
Rationale: Strong AI (also called artificial general intelligence or AGI) would possess the ability to
understand, learn, and apply intelligence across a wide range of tasks at a level comparable to or
exceeding human capabilities. No AGI system currently exists.
7. Which of the following statements about general intelligence is true?
A. General intelligence is about the number of abilities a system possesses
B. General intelligence is about the integration of abilities
C. General intelligence has been achieved by several AI systems
D. General intelligence is irrelevant to AI research
Answer: B. General intelligence is about the integration of abilities
Rationale: General intelligence is not merely about having many abilities, but about integrating them
effectively—transferring learning from one domain to another, adapting to novel situations, and
demonstrating flexible, context‑aware reasoning. This integration remains beyond current AI
capabilities.
8. The phrase "suitcase word" for terms like "intelligence" was coined by which AI pioneer?
A. John McCarthy
B. Marvin Minsky
C. Herbert Simon
, D. Allen Newell
Answer: B. Marvin Minsky
Rationale: Marvin Minsky coined the phrase "suitcase word" to describe terms like intelligence, thinking,
cognition, and consciousness that are "packed like a suitcase with a jumble of different meanings." This
highlights the challenge of precisely defining AI and intelligence.
9. According to a 2016 Stanford report (AI100), why has the lack of a precise definition of AI likely helped
the field?
A. It prevents research from being constrained by narrow definitions
B. It has helped the field grow, blossom, and advance at an ever‑accelerating pace
C. It allows non‑experts to contribute to AI research
D. It ensures funding remains available for diverse projects
Answer: B. It has helped the field grow, blossom, and advance at an ever‑accelerating pace
Rationale: The AI100 report noted that the lack of a precise, universally accepted definition of AI has
likely helped the field by preventing artificial constraints on research directions. Practitioners instead
guide themselves by a "rough sense of direction and an imperative to 'get on with it.'"
10. Which quote best captures the current relationship between deep learning and AI?
A. AI is a subset of deep learning
B. Deep learning is only one approach among many in the field of AI
C. Deep learning and AI are synonymous terms
D. Deep learning has been replaced by symbolic AI
Answer: B. Deep learning is only one approach among many in the field of AI
Rationale: Deep learning has become dominant since the 2010s, but it remains a subset of machine
learning, which is itself a subset of AI. AI includes many other approaches: symbolic AI, expert systems,
genetic algorithms, fuzzy logic, and more. Popular media's equation of AI with deep learning is an
oversimplification.
11. Symbolic AI programs are characterized by:
