The Basics of Artificial Intelligence

Understanding the Computer Systems that Surround You

I’ve always been fascinated by artificial intelligence. I mean, for the first time in history, we’ve created something with the potential to, in its own way, give objects the ability to think and reason. It’s inanimate consciousness! Isn’t that exciting?

However, nowadays, that inanimate thinking is all around us — from the algorithms in social media to automated service bots, to even surveillance cameras. This massive yet subtle boom in AI can cause as much confusion and fear as excitement. It’s growing so fast the general population can barely keep up with it.

This can be especially damaging for those who grew up with the term “artificial intelligence” being synonymous to “super-intelligent killer robot,” so I decided to create this guide to clear up some of that misconception. What better way to clear confusion than to understand the subject?

Now, since I know that it’s annoying clicking on an article expecting one thing but getting something else, here’s what you should and shouldn’t expect from this article.

What I will cover:

• A definition of AI and its importance
• How to differentiate between types of AI
• Different opinions on whether AI will ever reach human-level intelligence
• An overview of machine learning