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What exactly is AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of machines or computer programs to learn, reason, and make decisions on their own. This means that machines can process information and adapt to new situations, similar to the way that humans do.

How it can help humans

AI can help us to address or solve some of the most complex problems facing society today. For example, doctors can use AI to help them diagnose diseases and suggest treatments. Scientists can use AI to analyze large amounts of data, leading to new discoveries. And engineers can use AI to design better buildings, bridges, and other structures.

AI can help us to be more productive, too. For example, AI-powered robots can assemble products more efficiently. Chatbots can answer our questions quickly, and AI-powered virtual assistants can allow people to better manage their time and tasks.

AI can also improve our quality of life. For example, it can make our homes and cities more energy-efficient. AI-powered healthcare devices can monitor our overall health, preventing future illnesses. New educational tools can help us to learn more in ways that fit our individual learning styles.

Risks and challenges

However, we must also be aware of the potential risks and challenges that come with the development of AI. These include…

• job displacement, or robots replacing humans in certain fields
• the spread of misinformation, like if an AI tool gives an incorrect answer
• copyright issues when it comes to AI borrowing material or styles
• privacy concerns when there’s a data breach, in which people’s personal information is compromised

Like with any new technology, we must work hard to make sure AI is a tool that's used for good.

Recognizing AI in our daily lives

Let’s take a look at five examples of how AI is already being integrated into our daily lives…

1. Virtual assistants: Virtual assistants like Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, and Google Assistant use what’s called “natural language processing” and “machine learning” to understand and respond to voice commands. We can use these assistants to set reminders, play music, and quickly get answers to our questions. 
2. Personalized recommendations: Websites and apps such as Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify use AI algorithms to analyze our behavior. They can make recommendations for movies, products, and music they think we’ll like.
3. Fraud detection: Banks and other financial institutions use AI to detect fraudulent transactions. These tools analyze large amounts of data and try to identify any unusual patterns.
4. Autonomous vehicles: Self-driving cars interpret information from sensors and cameras in order to determine when to accelerate, brake, and turn.
5. Speech recognition: Voice-to-text software transcribes one’s voice into text. This makes it easier for people with disabilities to communicate, and enables us to use our voices to interact with and control technology.

These are just some examples! AI continues to revolutionize the way we live and work. In the next lesson, we’ll provide an overview of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) versus Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI), as well as four main categories of AI. 

Continue the Convo: In your opinion, what is the most important way AI can positively impact human lives? Additionally, what is the biggest risk AI poses to our society? (Keep in mind that there's no right answer). 

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