Marking the lines of artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the goal of recreating human intelligence by means of computers. Despite significant successes in specific contexts, this endeavour is problematic in a number of ways, which can be all illustrated with the metaphor of marking lines: lines to circumscribe and define, lines to connect and make comparisons, lines to separate and make distinctions, and, finally, lines to trace a path towards the future. In AI, these lines are blurred, because without a clear definition of intelligence AI is also difficult to define, the analogies between humans and machines are weak, the reliance on digital computers makes it hard to distinguish AI from the rest of Computer Science, ther future of AI is often illustrated by means of Sci-Fi scenarios with little connection with reality. This work is meant as a call for more attention on behalf of those who use, research, write, and talk about AI.