🤖 Artificial Intelligence (AI)

High School Computer Science Notes

🧠 What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that focuses on creating machines or software that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.

AI can help computers do things like:

In simple terms: Artificial Intelligence allows computers to “think” or make decisions similar to humans.

AI systems often use data, algorithms, and computing power to learn and improve over time.

🔍 Two Main Types of AI

1️⃣ Narrow AI (Weak AI)

Narrow AI is designed to perform one specific task. This is the type of AI that exists today.

Examples:

  • Voice assistants
  • Recommendation systems
  • Facial recognition
  • Spam filters

Key points:

  • Great at one specific job
  • Cannot truly think like a human
  • Cannot perform tasks outside its design
Example: Siri can answer questions and set reminders, but it cannot learn to drive a car.

2️⃣ General AI (Strong AI)

General AI is a theoretical type of AI that could perform any intellectual task that a human can do.

General AI would be able to:

  • Learn new skills independently
  • Reason and solve complex problems
  • Understand context and emotions
  • Adapt to completely new situations

Important: General AI does not currently exist. It is still a topic of research and science fiction.

Movie-style examples: intelligent robots, human-like machines

📱 Examples of AI Students Already Use

Many students interact with AI every day, often without realizing it.

🎤 Voice Assistants

SiriAlexaGoogle Assistant

These systems use AI to recognize speech, understand questions, and perform actions.

  • “What is the weather today?”
  • “Set a timer for 10 minutes.”

🎬 Streaming Recommendations

NetflixYouTubeSpotify

AI recommends shows, videos, or music by analyzing your behavior.

  • What you watch
  • How long you watch
  • What similar users like
Example: If you watch many science videos, YouTube may recommend more science channels.

📱 Social Media Feeds

TikTokInstagramFacebook

AI decides what posts show up in your feed to keep you engaged.

  • Videos you watch
  • Posts you like
  • Accounts you follow
  • Time spent viewing

🔎 Search Engines

GoogleBing

Search engines use AI to understand your query and rank the best results.

  • Understands what you mean (not just keywords)
  • Predicts searches as you type
  • Ranks results by relevance

🚗 Driver-Assist and Self-Driving Features

Some vehicles use AI to help drivers and make driving decisions.

  • Lane-keeping assist
  • Automatic braking
  • Parking assistance
  • Self-driving features (advanced vehicles)

These systems often use cameras, sensors, and machine learning to detect objects and respond.

📌 Key Takeaways