Legal Definitions - artificial

Artificial, adj.

1. Existing only because of the law or legal system. For example, a company or corporation is an artificial person because it only exists because the law allows it to.
2. Made or produced by humans, rather than occurring naturally. For example, plastic is an artificial material because it is made by humans, not found in nature.
3. Related to artifice, which means clever or cunning tricks used to deceive others. For example, an artificial smile is one that is not genuine, but rather put on to deceive others.

• An artificial heart is a device that is made by humans to replace a damaged or diseased heart.
• Artificial intelligence is the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as speech recognition or decision-making.
• Artificial sweeteners are substances that are used to sweeten food and drinks, but are not natural sugars.

These examples illustrate the different ways in which something can be considered artificial. They show that something can be artificial because it is made by humans, because it is a legal construct, or because it is a clever imitation of something else.