Module 1 Overview: What is AI?

  • AI
  • AI Literacy

AI is changing your world– but what exactly is it, and why should you care?

AI is rapidly shaping the world around us, influencing everything from the way we work to how we learn and interact with technology. Understanding AI is essential for making informed decisions, using technology responsibly, and staying prepared for the future, as it becomes increasingly integrated into everyday life and various industries. Everyone should have at least a basic knowledge of AI to navigate its opportunities and challenges effectively.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • Describe the concepts, components, and history of artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Differentiate between Human and Artificial Intelligence.
  • Recognize where AI is being used in everyday life and explore where AI may be used in the future.

Content Preview

Below you'll find the topics you'll cover in this module, helping you build a clear understanding of the key ideas. After that, you'll see the activities you'll complete, giving you hands-on practice to apply what you've learned.

Topics

In this module, you'll explore these topics:

  • What is AI?: AI refers to machines or software designed to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and learning from experience.

  • Historical Origins and Milestones of AI

  • Compare and Contrast Human and Artificial Intelligence

  • Types of AI:

    • Narrow AI: AI designed to perform specific tasks (e.g., Siri, Google Search).
    • General AI: AI that would be able to perform any cognitive task a human can do (still in development).

  • Examples of AI in everyday life: Virtual assistants (Siri, Alexa), recommendation systems (Netflix, YouTube), self-driving cars, facial recognition, speech recognition, and traffic prediction.

Activities

You'll apply your learning through these activities:

  • EXPERIMENT: Can Artificial Intelligence learn to recognize your drawings?
  • RESEARCH: Add a new Artificial Intelligence Discovery to the Timeline
  • WATCH: Ted Talk video on "Can AI Match the Human Brain?"
  • DISCUSSION: Where do you see AI in your life now and in the future?