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AI Basics

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Technology that enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science focused on creating systems capable of performing tasks that would typically require human intelligence.

Types of AI

Narrow AI (Weak AI)

AI designed for specific tasks, like:

  • Voice assistants (Siri, Alexa)
  • Recommendation systems (Netflix, Spotify)
  • ChatGPT and other language models

This is what we interact with today.

General AI (Strong AI)

Hypothetical AI with human-like general intelligence. This doesn't exist yet.

Super AI

Theoretical AI surpassing human intelligence in all aspects. This is science fiction for now.

How AI Works

Modern AI primarily uses machine learning—algorithms that learn from data rather than following explicit programming rules. Deep learning, using neural networks, has driven most recent AI breakthroughs.

AI in Everyday Life

  • Search engines understanding your queries
  • Social media curating your feed
  • Email filtering spam
  • Navigation apps finding fastest routes
  • Virtual assistants answering questions
  • Streaming services recommending content

The Future of AI

AI is rapidly advancing, with improvements in:

  • Natural language understanding
  • Image and video generation
  • Reasoning and problem-solving
  • Multimodal capabilities (understanding text, images, audio)

Examples

  • 1ChatGPT understanding and responding to questions
  • 2Tesla's self-driving system recognizing road conditions
  • 3Netflix recommending shows based on viewing history

Related Terms

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