AI for the Rest of Us

Welcome to our first official journey together into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI).

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence. It's a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, but do we really know what it means? You may imagine futuristic robots or complex computer programs, but let's break it down to its simplest form.

Imagine playing the childhood game 'Hot and Cold'. The goal is to find a hidden item. As you move around, someone tells you if you’re getting 'hotter' (closer to the item) or 'colder' (further from it). You use this feedback to refine your search until you find the item.

In essence, this is AI in a nutshell - a system that takes in information from its environment (the 'hotter' or 'colder' clues), learns from it, and uses that knowledge to achieve a goal (finding the item). The difference is, of course, that AI deals with far more complex problems, like diagnosing diseases, predicting weather patterns, or recommending your next favourite song.

This week’s featured video

We found an engaging video by UNESCO that beautifully encapsulates the concept of AI and its impact on our world. It’s short, accessible, and ties AI to real-world scenarios and even global objectives like the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

In just over a minute, the video takes us from AI’s theoretical underpinnings to its practical implications in our daily lives, and even its potential for driving global progress. It paints a compelling picture of how AI isn’t just about technology—it’s about people, society, and our shared future.

AI is everywhere around us, from the virtual assistants on our smartphones to the recommendation systems on our favourite shopping websites. But it's more than just a tool for convenience; it’s a key driver of innovation, problem-solving, and sustainable development.

As we delve deeper into AI in the coming weeks, we'll be unravelling its components, exploring its applications, and discussing its ethical implications. We'll look at how AI is transforming our lives, industries, and societies, and what that means for you, for us, and for the world.

This week’s recommended reading

If you’ve got more time and want to read in a bit more depth about this week’s topic, we recommend:

1. Guardian: How AI is changing every corner of our economy 

2. Economic Times: How Artificial intelligence is changing your life unknowingly

3. Independent: 10 ways AI will change the world

Remember, this AI journey is about simplifying the complex, breaking down the jargon, and making AI comprehensible and relatable. And you, as our reader, are essential to this process. Your curiosity fuels our mission. So feel free to ask questions, share insights, or suggest topics.

Until next week …

Warren and Mark
Leaders of AI for the Rest of Us: curators of AI knowledge