Pathfinding algorithms are absolutely artificial intelligence. A* and so on were invented in just that sort of research.

It may not be AGI, but that was never claimed.

If I write an if statement, is that AI?

No, but if you wrote a thousand if statements two decades ago it might be.

IMO, what counts as "AI" is one of those "I know it when I see it" things, simply because trying to write a lawyer-proof definition isn't possible.

I'd argue that "AI" doesn't have to be attempting to achieve AGI to be considered AI. For example, "Computer" players in games are AI. This applies whether you're talking something as advanced as a deep strategy game like the Civ series, or something as basic as the ghosts in Pac-Man, or even an automated Tic-Tac-Toe player.

So...is a path finding algorithm "AI"? I dunno. I could go either way.

But like...I seriously can't come up with a real definition of "AI" that wouldn't end up including things that definitely aren't AI. For example, is AI simply any code that seems like it has agency and makes decisions? If so, then is any sort program that triggers execution based on certain detections "AI"? Certainly not. Is it code that attempts to mimic human behavior, even at a basic level? If so, then is AutoHotKey AI? Nope, definitely not.

In the end, it’s all jumps, adds, flips and shifts.