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Artificial Intelligence

Guide on artificial intelligence

What is AI?

Copy of Social Justice & AI by Kristina Santiago

Summary & introduction to the topic of Artificial Intelligence.

What is Generative A.I.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is "artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images, or other media, using generative models" (Wikipedia, 2023). 

"The term 'Artificial Intelligence (AI)' has a lot of different meanings depending on who’s talking. Yeah, AI can mean 'smart creepy robots' sometimes. But technology isn’t quite there yet. It turns out “AI” might mean a lot more than you think." (aiEDU, n.d.)

Generative AI is a trending topic and an emerging tech that has cross-disciplinary implications for how we live, work, learn and communicate. This guide, while not exhaustive, aims to focus on tools and considerations for AI use in educational contexts. 

This guide may be updated as new tools and resources are published.

Background Information

Boolean Keyword Search  

You can find more academic resources on this topic using the One Search database! Here is a sample Boolean keyword strategy for researching this topic. Click the hyperlink to view the search results.

Key Terms

Below are a several key terms that are of relevance in understanding concepts related to artificial intelligence.

  • Algorithm: A set of rules that a machine can follow to learn how to do a task.

  • Artificial intelligence: This refers to the general concept of machines acting in a way that simulates or mimics human intelligence. AI can have a variety of features, such as human-like communication or decision making.

  • Autonomous: A machine is described as autonomous if it can perform its task or tasks without needing human intervention.
  • Bias: Assumptions made by a model that simplify the process of learning to do its assigned task. 
  • Chatbot: A chatbot is program that is designed to communicate with people through text or voice commands in a way that mimics human-to-human conversation.
  • General AI: AI that could successfully do any intellectual task that can be done by any human being. This is sometimes referred to as strong AI, although they aren’t entirely equivalent terms.
  • Machine learning: This subset of AI is particularly focused on developing algorithms that will help machines to learn and change in response to new data, without the help of a human being.
  • Natural language processing (NLP): The umbrella term for any machine’s ability to perform conversational tasks, such as recognizing what is said to it, understanding the intended meaning and responding intelligibly.
  • Strong AI: This field of research is focused on developing AI that is equal to the human mind when it comes to ability. General AI is a similar term often used interchangeably.
  • Turing test: Named after Alan Turing, famed mathematician, computer scientist and logician, this tests a machine’s ability to pass for a human, particularly in the fields of language and behavior. After being graded by a human, the machine passes if its output is indistinguishable from that of human participant’s.

Terms & definitions sourced from AI Data, 2021.