Because we're at such a basic level in our understanding of how intelligence works that these crude hang-glider models are our best way to learn the basics. AI

Because we're at such a basic level in our understanding of how intelligence works that these crude hang-glider models are our best way to learn the basics. AI researchers spent decades trying to formulate definitions and models purely theoretically, and it turned out those theories were not super useful in building out modeling real systems. The toy models are essential.