Artificial intelligence, or the study of ideas that enable computers to be intelligent, is discussed in terms of what it is, what it has done, what it can do, and how it may affect the teaching of tomorrow. An extensive overview of artificial intelligence examines its goals and applications and types of artificial intelligence including (1) expert systems, e.g., MYCIN, a rule-based system program that can diagnose infectious diseases and recommend treatment, and XCON, an expert system that synthesizes information; (2) language understanding, e.g., the program ELIZA which carries on a conversation with the user much as a psychiatrist would; (3) image understanding and robotics, e.g., CONSIGHT, a program that uses binary images to locate objects in a conveyor belt; and (4) learning, i.e., the computer's ability to learn. Specific artificial intelligence developments in the field of education are described, including the program WUSOR, which was written to advise users of the game WUMPUS, a maze-exploration program that encourages deductive processes and develops a sense of probabilities. The final summary reviews the good qualities of computer assisted instruction programs and suggests ways in which artificial intelligence could aid or be incorporated in their development. Twelve references and twelve items of supporting literature are listed. (LMM)