What AI is, and isn't
A simple definition of artificial intelligence, what it can and can't do, and why people stay in charge.
What is artificial intelligence? Let's find out what it really is, and what it isn't. Artificial intelligence, or A I, means computers doing things that usually need human thinking. Things like recognising faces, understanding speech, translating languages, or answering questions.
What AI can do
A I can recognise images, like your face when you unlock your phone. It can understand speech, so you can talk instead of typing. It can translate between many languages. And it can write and chat, like the chatbots you may have heard of.
What AI is, and isn't
A I is very good at finding patterns, and it can work through huge amounts of information quickly. It's a tool, made and controlled by people. But A I isn't alive, the way people and animals are. It isn't always right. And it's not a replacement for your own thinking.
New word: Machine learning
Most modern A I uses machine learning. Instead of being told every rule, the computer learns patterns from lots of examples. Show a computer thousands of photos of cats, and it learns what cats usually look like. The most important thing to remember is that A I is a tool, like a calculator or a hammer. People build it, people decide how to use it, and people are responsible for what happens.
Quick check
Quick check. Which of these is an example of A I? Face unlock. The phone recognises your face, a task that usually needs human thinking. Options: A phone unlocking when it sees your face; A light switch; A paper calendar; A wooden ruler.
Recap
A I means computers doing tasks that usually need human thinking. It's great at patterns and data. It isn't alive, and it isn't always right. And people are in charge of how it's used.
Key points
- Artificial intelligence (AI) means computers doing tasks that usually need human thinking, like recognising faces, understanding speech, translating and answering questions.
- AI is very good at finding patterns in large amounts of data.
- AI isn't alive, isn't always right, and doesn't replace your own thinking.
- Most modern AI uses machine learning, learning patterns from examples. People build AI and are responsible for how it's used.
Try it: AI or not?
Sort these into things that use AI and things that don't.