Welcome to the second edition of AI for the Rest of Us. I'm glad you're back for more.

Last week, we introduced the concept of AI and why it matters. This week, we're digging deeper and getting a bit technical. The topic: "What is AI, anyway?"

This common question has a surprisingly complex answer. That’s why we’re dedicating the next two weeks to it.

This week is Part I, focused on the definition of AI, the different facets of AI, and why all of this stuff matters. Looking ahead to next week, we’ll focus on various types of AI tools and what they can/can’t do.

Here we go!

– Kyser

In the Know

Let’s start with my most basic, no-duh definition of AI and break it down:

Here’s the thing. AI technology is designed to identify patterns and follow instructions. This allows it to perform tasks that may seem intelligent but are actually based on complex calculations, predefined rules, and/or statistical analysis.

Put another way, AI is technology that tries to copy how humans think and solve problems. It shows up in our everyday lives when machines do things that normally need human smarts – like recognizing your face to unlock your phone, understanding the meaning of your words when you ask Alexa to turn off lights, and even filtering this newsletter to Spam 😖.

The AI Ecosystem

I talked in Week 1 about how AI has been around for a long time. That’s because there are different areas of AI. And many of these areas have been around for many years – like Robotics, Speech Recognition, Machine Learning, etc. You’ve seen these out in the world in robot vacuums, voice-to-text for messaging and emails, and social media feeds (yep, what you see on Facebook, Instagram, etc., is powered by AI).

We also have newer areas of AI like Large Language Models, Generative AI, and Neural Networks. These are mostly the culprits of all the hype, and you’ve seen them out in the world in ChatGPT, deep fakes, and image generators.

I’ll get into the definitions of these terms in “Let’s Learn Something”, but for now I simply want to show that AI is made up of many things that work together to help us do stuff.

Here’s what I want you to take away from this image:

1. The more you understand that there’s a full ecosystem at work, the more prepared you’ll be when it’s more ingrained in more of your life.

2. Humans have created breakthrough technology within many of these areas – and that’s been going on for a long time.

3. Most of the recent hype lies within one area of AI, Large Language Models (e.g. ChatGPT).

Large Language Models

That begs the question, “What the heck is a Large Language Model?” LLMs (for short) are a prime example of AI technology trying to mimic human intelligence, specifically in the realm of understanding and generating natural language.

Here’s how they work:

• LLMs are a type of AI software that processes and generates words.

• They are created by analyzing enormous amounts of written material, like books and websites, to recognize patterns in language.

• When you ask an LLM a question or give it a task, it uses patterns it has observed to create its response. It is quite literally predicting the most likely next words.

• They don't truly understand meaning, but man can they produce seemingly intelligent responses. They do this by recognizing patterns in language.

• The more they analyze stuff, the better they get at predicting and generating useful text.

It’s important to reiterate and clarify that LLMs don’t actually understand language in the way humans do, but they can perform tasks that seem intelligent by leveraging their training and sophisticated calculations. And in fact, they are incredibly capable of performing certain tasks, some even better than humans. More on that next week.

Let me also say that some people might think everything I’ve shared is an absurd reduction of what the technology is and can do. I don’t disagree. One step at a time here. This is AI for the Rest of Us, not AI for Experts.

Why does this matter?

OK, that was a lot to throw at you. Why am I sharing all of this technical stuff?

I want us to understand that we are talking about technology here, not human intelligence. Yes, it’s impressive technology – the most capable we’ve ever had. And it’s only getting more capable.

But it’s not sentient. It can’t relate to you. It doesn’t want fresh air or crave ice cream. It doesn’t know you in the truest sense of the word. But it sure can act like it.

Let’s Learn Something

I’ve thrown several heady words at you already, and at the risk of losing you with too much tech jargon in one week, I do think it’s important to leave you with a list of terms you should know.

Quick heads up: the text is purposefully small because that entire thing is an image you can save to your phone or desktop for handy reference. You’re also welcome to share it with others.

For those with more time

If you want to dig deeper into the definition of AI and what the technology can do, you should watch this brilliant explainer video (18 minutes, but the first 9 minutes are the best).

AI in the Wild

The question ”What is AI, anyway?” can also be applied to content that’s out there on the Internet. Think about the last time you were scrolling on social media and saw a photo that just looked slightly off. Or maybe you stumbled upon a picture of a cat wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar. Chances are, those were generated using AI.

Here are three great reads related to this.

Heads up: I’m including a summary of the article and a link to read the full thing. No need to read the full article unless you have the time/interest.

Facebook Is Filled With AI-Generated Garbage—and Older Adults Are Being Tricked [Free to read]
AI-generated images are filling Facebook feeds, especially for older adults who often mistake these fake visuals for real content. Due to unfamiliarity with AI, many Boomers are tricked by these surreal images, which could lead to scams or misinformation. As AI evolves, it’s becoming harder for everyone to spot fake content, highlighting the need for better awareness and regulation.

Bizarre cat videos made with the help of artificial intelligence [Free to read]
AI-generated cat videos are taking over social media, mixing cute with creepy. While these videos might seem fun, they often include disturbing or bizarre themes, especially on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. It’s a reminder that not everything you see online is as innocent as it looks—AI is making fake content easier to create and spread.

Where Facebook's AI Slop Comes From [Pay to read]
Facebook is fueling a disturbing trend by paying creators in countries like India and Vietnam to flood the platform with bizarre, AI-generated images of suffering and poverty. These spammers, guided by online influencers, exploit Facebook’s algorithms and incentives, turning human misery into viral content for profit.

This one is an in depth report from a journalist who investigated and documented the bizarre AI-generated image spam on Facebook, now commonly referred to as “AI slop,” and Meta’s seeming complete apathy toward moderating this type of spam. It comes from 404 Media, a new publication I recommend for people looking to read in-depth reporting on the tech industry. Do not subscribe to it if you’re not into that. Just read my summary and be aware of images out there on social media.