The term artificial life was coined by Christopher G. Langton to describe the study of virtual life forms that exist solely inside of a computer. Researchers have used artificial life to model the effects of evolution, especially in regards to genetic recombination. It has also been used to study the underlying forces that govern biological life such as adaptation and emergence.

When a population of organisms begins to demonstrate organizational behaviors that are greater than the simple actions of it's constituents, this is called emergence. For example, a hive of bees beating their wings in concert to cool down the hive. Another important theme in artificial life is adaptation. Artificial life has been very helpful in studying the changes in a population as it responds or adapts to changes in its environment.