This guide on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is designed to be more of a primer on a complex and ever-changing topic. As the development of AI is changing all the time, you are strongly encouraged to do further reading on AI beyond what is presented in this guide and ensure that the sources you are selecting are recent.
Students should strive to use AI resources responsibly not only to respect the class/school polices on the use of AI in coursework but also for the sake of mastering the course material and self development.
The information and links provided in this guide are for educational purposes and do not represent an endorsement of specific AI technologies. We encourage you to be cautious about sharing personal information when using AI tools.
When in doubt about the use of AI in coursework, refer to your syllabus and/or ask your instructor.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving field that has transformed the way we interact with technology, shaping industries, societies, and daily life. From self-driving cars to smart assistants like Siri and Alexa, AI is increasingly becoming a part of our everyday experience. But what exactly is AI, and how does it work?
AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines designed to think and learn. It encompasses a variety of techniques, including machine learning, natural language processing, robotics, and deep learning. AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data, recognize patterns, make decisions, and even perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence.
Text generated by ChatGPT (September 2024)
Refers to a class of artificial intelligence models that can create new content based on the data they’ve been trained on. This includes generating text, images, music, and even videos. These models learn patterns and structures from existing data and use that knowledge to produce original outputs that mimic the style or characteristics of the input data. Common applications include language models (like ChatGPT), image synthesis (like DALL-E), and music generation tools.
Definition by ChatGPT (September 2024)
Machine Learning (ML) is a core sub-area of AI. ML applications learn from data without direct programming. When exposed to new data, these applications learn, grow, change, and develop by themselves. In other words, with Machine Learning, computers find insightful information without being told where to look. Instead, they do this by leveraging algorithms that learn from data in an iterative process
A type of artificial intelligence model designed to understand, generate, and manipulate human language. These models are trained on massive amounts of text data, enabling them to predict and generate coherent, contextually relevant sentences and paragraphs. LLMs utilize deep learning techniques, especially neural network architectures like transformers, to process and analyze the structure and meaning of language at scale.