Question about abbreviation/punctuation.

Short version: What is the correct short form for Artificial Intelligence? A.I. or AI?

Longer version: Non-native speaker is puzzled. I've seen both, A.I. makes more sense from a logical point (it's like U.N. when talking about the United Nations), but my word processor hates it.

Any advice from those with editorial background?

No periods in U.S. style (Chicago Manual of Style, 10.4).

Thank you.

Shouldn't your answer read "No periods in US style...", according to what you just wrote? I'm not trying to annoy you, just curious.

While I'm sure there is a technical answer to your question (there are probably multiple, conflicting ones) the best answer is: whatever makes sense. Generally speaking, if you combine random letters and put them in all-caps, people will assume it's an acronym. You see periods used between letters more often when the acronym spells out a word. The video game franchise, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., is a good example of this. It's clear that the title is an acronym, whereas "STALKER" would be less clear: it just looks like a word in all-caps.

You'd be surprised how many things in English don't have hard and fast rules, especially when you don't consider them in academic or technical contexts.

Blind_Justice said:

Thank you.

Shouldn't your answer read "No periods in US style...", according to what you just wrote? I'm not trying to annoy you, just curious.

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You'd think so, but then you'd be fooled into thinking that U.S. style is consistent and didn't have its tradition-based exceptions. You'll be happy to hear that "UK" is the convention in U.S. style, though.

John988 said:

While I'm sure there is a technical answer to your question (there are probably multiple, conflicting ones) the best answer is: whatever makes sense. Generally speaking, if you combine random letters and put them in all-caps, people will assume it's an acronym. You see periods used between letters more often when the acronym spells out a word. The video game franchise, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., is a good example of this. It's clear that the title is an acronym, whereas "STALKER" would be less clear: it just looks like a word in all-caps.

You'd be surprised how many things in English don't have hard and fast rules, especially when you don't consider them in academic or technical contexts.

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For U.S. style, I gave the answer--and with an authoritative sourcing. so, I'm not sure why you bothered with this post.

sr71plt said:

For U.S. style, I gave the answer--and with an authoritative sourcing. so, I'm not sure why you bothered with this post.

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Because your answer wasn't helpful. The OP clearly didn't understand it, and, more to the point, your answer wasn't even correct. The Chicago Manual of Style is notoriously specific, and often conflicts with other styles, such as MLA and APA. My answer actually addressed the English language, whereas yours is confined by the dictates of one style of technical or academic writing, which I specifically addressed in my reply.

John988 said:

Because your answer wasn't helpful. The OP clearly didn't understand it, and, more to the point, your answer wasn't even correct. The Chicago Manual of Style is notoriously specific, and often conflicts with other styles, such as MLA and APA. My answer actually addressed the English language, whereas yours is confined by the dictates of one style of technical or academic writing, which I specifically addressed in my reply.

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My answer was correct and authoritative for U.S. style of fiction writing. We write fiction here, and The Chicago Manual of Style is authoritative for U.S.-style fiction. It's half-baked posters like you who confuse and do damage here. MLA and APA are irrelevant to the writing of fiction. MLA is for academic English criticism and APA is for scientific copy. Stop trying to be an expert in something you are clueless about.

You don't even bother to specifically source your opinions.

Chicago Manual of Style, 10.4.3: "Use no periods with abbreviations that appear in full capitals, whether two letters or more and even if lowercase letters appear within the abbreviations."

I don't just give my opinion on these issues. I cite the authority.

But, since you bring in MLA and APA

MLA: 6.1: "The trend in abbreviation is to use neither periods after letters nor spaces between letters, especially for abbreviations made up of all capital letters."

APA: 3.27: "Do not use periods with . . . capital letter abbreviations and acronyms."

Please don't fight. I specifically asked for the solution to one certain problem which pilot provided. It's my fault for not researching exceptions when asking about the U.S. abbreviation but I was in kind of a hurry.

The willingness of the blind to lead the blind makes those with actual experience to wonder why they bother to try to help.