AI Basics41
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, model, training, inference: the words that show up first in any AI topic. If AI news feels foreign, start with the beginner terms here. Every other category builds on this one.
AI that could learn any new task, not just the one it was built for
AlgorithmA fixed sequence and set of rules for solving a problem
Artificial IntelligenceGetting machines to make the judgment calls people used to make
Automation vs AIThe difference between following a fixed rule and judging as you go
Big DataData piled up so high it forces you to change tools
ChatbotA program you exchange text or speech with, back and forth
ClassificationPicking one of the bins that were already decided in advance
ClusteringGrouping similar things together with no labels at all
Computer VisionTechnology that gets a computer to make sense of photos and video
DataThe row-by-row record that becomes the raw material AI learns from
Data ScienceTurning scattered data into an answer worth acting on
DatasetA bundle of material gathered and organized to teach an AI
Deep LearningMachine learning that stacks processing steps many layers deep
EmbeddingRewriting meaning as a set of numbers that marks a spot
FeatureOne ingredient an AI looks at when it makes a judgment
GeneralizationThe ability to keep performing well on data never seen before
Generative AIAI that invents a result that never existed before
GPUA device that processes the same calculation many times at once
InferenceThe moment a trained model produces an answer for a new input
LabelThe answer a person attaches to data ahead of time
Large Language ModelA language model grown enormous by reading a huge pile of text
LayerA computing stage made of neurons that all share the same input
Machine LearningFinding rules from examples instead of writing them by hand
ModelA block of rules saved as-is, left over once training finishes
Narrow AIAI built to do exactly one job well
Neural NetworkSimple calculating units chained together in layers
NeuronA tiny computing unit that takes in many values and outputs one
NLPThe technology that lets computers handle human language
ParameterA tuning dial inside a model whose value training decides
Pattern RecognitionSpotting the regularity that keeps repeating
PredictionUsing what you know to guess at a value you don't
Recommendation SystemA system that picks out what you'll like from your past records
RegressionNaming a single number somewhere on a continuous scale
Reinforcement LearningLearning by trying things and adjusting to the score you get back
Speech RecognitionThe technology that transcribes spoken words into text
Supervised LearningLearning a rule from examples that already carry the right answer
TokenThe bite-size pieces an AI cuts text into before reading it
TrainingThe process of nudging dials a little at a time from examples
Turing TestA test that guesses human or machine from conversation alone
Unsupervised LearningFinding structure in data with no answers attached
WeightThe learned multiplier on each input, deciding how much it counts