Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables machines to think, learn, and solve problems. From your phone's face unlock to Netflix recommendations, AI powers many everyday tools you already use.
Quick Answer
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving. It powers everything from search engines to self-driving cars, learning from data to improve over time.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. The term can apply to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind, such as learning and problem-solving.
AI systems work by combining large amounts of data with fast, iterative processing and intelligent algorithms. This allows the software to learn automatically from patterns or features in the data.
AI can be categorized in several ways. The most common distinction is between Narrow AI (weak AI) and General AI (strong AI). Most AI today is Narrow AI, designed for specific tasks.
You probably use AI dozens of times every day without thinking about it. Search engines use AI to find relevant results, streaming services recommend content, and email filters spam.
Plain English Explanation
Think of AI as a really fast learner. You show it thousands of examples — like pictures of cats — and it figures out what makes a cat a cat. Then when you show it a new picture, it can tell you if there's a cat in it. That's the basic idea behind most AI today.
Step-by-step guide
Be specific in your prompts
Provide context and examples
Ask follow-up questions to refine answers
Verify important information from other sources
AI learns from data, and if that data has biases or gaps, the AI will reflect them.
Smartphone face unlock
Netflix and Spotify recommendations
Email spam filtering
Google Maps traffic prediction
Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa
Not exactly. Machine Learning is a subset of AI. AI is the broad concept of machines simulating human intelligence, while Machine Learning specifically refers to systems that learn from data.
Stanford University, 2025
Coursera, 2024
