What is most important about artificial intelligence as an area of specialization ... would be its ultimate objective of replicating semiotic systems. Indeed, while artificial intelligence can achieve at least some of its goals by building systems that simulate--and improve upon--the mental abilities that are deployed by human beings, it cannot secure its most treasured goals short of replication, if such a conception is correct. It therefore appears to be an ultimate irony that the ideal limit and final aim of artificial intelligence could turn out to be the development of systems capable of making mistakes.