LESSON 1

What is AI

Learning objective: Understand what artificial intelligence is and is not.

Understand

AI is software that performs tasks that usually need human intelligence.

Artificial intelligence covers systems that recognize patterns, make predictions, or generate content. Most modern AI learns from data rather than following hand-written rules. It is a powerful tool, not magic — and not truly conscious.

Analogy: AI is like a very fast pattern-spotter that has read a great deal but does not truly understand like a person.

See It in Action

Everyday AI you already use:

- spam filters
- recommendations
- voice assistants
- chatbots
How it works: Each of these learns from data to make a helpful prediction or decision for you.

Try It Yourself

  1. List three AI tools you used this week.
  2. Note what each one predicts or generates.
  3. Decide if each learns from data.

Quick Quiz

How does most modern AI work?

Challenge

Describe two AI tools you use and what each one does for you.

Success condition: You can explain what AI is with real examples.