My mom asked me to explain what AI is.
I tried a few answers in my head, and none of them sounded right. Then it hit me: if I can explain it so my mom gets it, that is the best explanation there is.
AI is badly named. "Artificial intelligence" promises something it is not.
Don’t get me wrong. I am amazed by it every single day. It is very smart software. But smart is not the same as intelligent.
Intelligence is judgment. Knowing what matters, what is right, and what to do when no rule covers the situation. That is a human thing.
What AI actually is: software that is exceptionally good at pattern matching. Finding patterns in mountains of information, faster than any person ever could. It is better at that than me, any day and every day.
Once you see it that way, you stop expecting the wrong things from it — and start using it for the right things. It finds patterns faster than I can, finds precedents I would never find alone, and compares things better than I can on my own. That is why it is an amazing co-pilot, advisor, sparring partner, coder, and assistant.
So here is how I think about it now: AI is the best pattern-matching machine ever built. I bring the intelligence — the judgment about what to do with the patterns it finds.
That worked for my mom. I think it works for everyone.