What is AI?

You may have heard people talking about artificial intelligence, or AI for short. It's appearing in more and more parts of everyday life. But what actually is it?

Artificial intelligence is technology that allows computers to do things we normally associate with human intelligence.

For example, AI can recognise speech, understand questions, identify objects in photographs, translate languages and help create written content. You don't need to understand how it works behind the scenes to use it.

Is AI something new?

Not really. AI has been around for decades, although it's become much more capable in recent years. You may already have used it without realising.

• Your phone: Recognising your voice when you ask it a question.
• Your email: Helping identify unwanted or suspicious messages.
• Watching television: Suggesting films or programs you might enjoy.
• Your camera: Helping improve photographs automatically.
• Online shopping: Suggesting products based on what you've looked at.

Not every feature like these uses AI, but they're familiar examples of where it can be involved.

What about ChatGPT and other AI assistants?

You may have heard of ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot. These are examples of AI assistants. You can type a question, much like sending a message to someone, and receive a response.

You can ask them to explain something, suggest ideas, help write a letter or guide you through a task. You can also ask follow-up questions if you don't understand the first answer.

You don't need special commands or technical knowledge. Just use your own words.

Does AI actually think like a person?

Not in the same way. AI systems learn patterns from large amounts of information. They use those patterns to recognise things, make predictions and generate responses.

They can sometimes seem remarkably human, especially when you're having a conversation with an AI assistant. But sounding confident or knowledgeable doesn't mean they understand everything or are always correct.

AI can be very helpful, but it can also make mistakes. That's why it's important to check information that could affect your health, finances, safety or other important decisions.

Do I need to be worried about AI?

You don't need to be afraid of trying it. Like many technologies, AI has benefits and risks. It can make some tasks easier, help people learn and provide new ways to be creative.

It also raises important questions about privacy, reliability, jobs and how technology affects our lives. Soilleir will help you explore these subjects in clear, everyday language, so you can make your own informed choices.

The important thing to remember

AI is a tool. You're still in control. You decide whether to use it, what to ask it and whether to follow its suggestions. And it's perfectly fine to be curious, cautious or both.