AI Foundations
Artificial intelligence
AI
Software that performs tasks that normally require human-like perception, reasoning, language, or decision-making.
Example
A checkout camera identifies produce and flags items that may have been scanned incorrectly.
Why it matters
It can handle repetitive work at a scale people would struggle to manage manually.
You'll hear it
“The system uses AI to sort the requests before we review them.”
Can you control it?
Sometimes
Sometimes. You can choose the AI tool, the information you share and whether to use its answer. The maker decides how it is built.
Common questions
- Does AI always need an internet connection?
- No. Some features work on your device, while others need to contact computers elsewhere.
- Is AI the same as machine learning?
- No. Machine learning is one way to build AI, while AI is the broader category.
- Does AI think like a person?
- Not necessarily. AI can produce human-like results without experiencing or understanding the world as a person does.