What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) means the ability of a computer or machine to perform specific tasks that would require intelligence as a normal human, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI systems are designed to perform these tasks by analyzing and interpreting large amounts of data and using algorithms and statistical models to make predictions or take actions.

There are different types of artificial intelligence, including weak AI, which is designed or created to perform a specific or set of tasks or set of tasks, and general or strong AI, which is designed to perform any intellectual task that humans can do. Some examples of artificial intelligence include:

Machine learning: This is a type of AI that involves training a computer to recognize patterns and make decisions based on data without being explicitly programmed to do so.

Natural language processing: This is a type of AI that allows computers to understand and interpret human language.

Expert systems: These are AI systems that are designed to replicate the decision-making abilities of a human expert in a specific field.

AI has the potential and capacity to revolutionise many industries and has already been applied in a wide range of areas, including healthcare, finance, transportation, and education. However, it also raises ethical and societal questions, such as concerns about job displacement and the potential for biassed or unfair decision-making.

Large volumes of labelled training data are ingested by AI systems, which then examine the data for correlations and patterns before employing these patterns to forecast future states. By studying millions of instances, an image recognition tool can learn to recognize and describe objects in photographs, just as a chatbot that is given examples of text chats can learn to make lifelike exchanges with people.