Artificielles

Artificielles is the feminine plural form of the French adjective artificiel and is used to describe things that are artificial rather than natural. In French, the term can refer to artificial objects, systems, or beings, particularly artificial agents such as robots, virtual entities, or synthetic organisms.

In technology and science, artificielles encompasses hardware and software systems designed to perform tasks that would require human intelligence or natural processes. This includes perception, reasoning, learning, language understanding, and interaction. The concept is related to artificial intelligence, but artificielles emphasizes the artificial origin of the agents or systems rather than a singular field.

Ethical and social questions associated with artificielles include accountability for decisions, transparency, bias and safety, privacy, and the potential impact on employment. Debates also consider whether highly capable artificielles should be granted specific legal status or rights and how governance, design choices, and regulation can manage risk.

Historically, automata and mechanical devices appeared in antiquity, while the modern idea of artificial intelligence emerged in the mid-20th century. Advances in machine learning, robotics, and human–machine interaction have expanded the role of artificielles in everyday life, industry, and culture, prompting ongoing discussion about governance, ethics, and societal impact.