Summary
Are computers becoming as smart as we are? Not so far, but some are performing tasks that we normally think of as requiring human intelligence—like, learning from experience, solving problems, and responding to language. The idea of artificial intelligence, or AI, has been around since at least 1950, when British mathematician Alan Turing envisioned what it would mean for computers to think. These days, narrow AI is everywhere, with predictive text, photo filters, chatbots, and more. Much of it is based on machine learning: The computer gets programmed with instructions and fed data; then, through training, it gets to know patterns in the data, and can eventually make decisions about new data. Many AI models are artificial neural networks, which mimic the way brain cells communicate. The technology is changing rapidly, and has its risks. For example, large language models can be inaccurate, and deepfakes can be weaponized by bad actors. So, it's important to be thoughtful about how you interact with AI. Press “play” to learn more about the brave new world of artificial intelligence.
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Artificial Intelligence:
- What is one new thing you learned about artificial intelligence?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining artificial intelligence.
- Draw or give one example of your own.