AI Glossary for Students
40+ AI and machine learning terms explained in simple language. Perfect for Grades 6-12.
Basics
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Computer systems designed to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, like understanding speech, recognizing images, or making decisions.
Read: What is AI? A guide for kids →Machine Learning (ML)
A type of AI where computers learn from data and examples instead of being explicitly programmed with rules.
Explore: Machine Learning for Kids →Algorithm
A step-by-step set of instructions that tells a computer how to solve a problem or complete a task.
Learn algorithms in Grade 6 →Advanced
Deep Learning
A type of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to learn complex patterns from large amounts of data.
Learn deep learning in Grade 10 →Neural Network
A computer system inspired by the human brain, made up of connected nodes (neurons) that process information in layers.
Neural networks start in Grade 9 →Generative AI
AI that can create new content like text, images, music, or code. ChatGPT and DALL-E are examples.
Generative AI in Grade 11 →Large Language Model (LLM)
A type of AI trained on massive amounts of text that can understand and generate human language.
LLMs and research in Grade 12 →Overfitting
When AI memorizes training data too well and fails to work on new, unseen data.
ML Concepts
Training Data
The examples and information used to teach an AI system. Like flashcards for computers!
Model
The result of training an AI system. It's the "brain" that makes predictions based on what it learned.
Prediction
An AI's guess or answer based on patterns it learned from training data.
Classification
Teaching AI to sort things into categories, like identifying whether an email is spam or not spam.
Pattern Recognition
AI's ability to find repeating patterns in data, like recognizing faces or handwriting.
Pattern recognition starts in Grade 7 →Dataset
A collection of data used to train or test an AI system.
Feature
A measurable property of the data that AI uses to make predictions, like color, size, or shape.
Accuracy
How often an AI system makes correct predictions, usually shown as a percentage.
Applications
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
AI that understands and works with human language, powering chatbots and voice assistants.
NLP covered in Grade 11 →Computer Vision
AI that can "see" and understand images and videos, used in face recognition and self-driving cars.
Computer vision in Grade 10 →Chatbot
An AI program designed to have conversations with humans, often used for customer service.
Learn about ChatGPT and chatbots safely →Voice Assistant
AI that understands spoken commands and responds with speech, like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.
Recommendation System
AI that suggests content you might like, used by YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify.
Robotics
Building physical machines that use AI to interact with the real world.
Autonomous Vehicle
A self-driving car or vehicle that uses AI to navigate without human control.
Facial Recognition
AI that can identify or verify a person by analyzing their face.
Sentiment Analysis
AI that determines whether text expresses positive, negative, or neutral feelings.
Text-to-Speech
AI that converts written text into spoken words.
Speech-to-Text
AI that converts spoken words into written text, also called transcription.
Image Recognition
AI that can identify objects, people, or scenes in photographs.
Using AI
Prompt
The instruction or question you give to an AI system to get a response.
Ethics
Bias in AI
When AI systems treat certain groups unfairly because of problems in training data or design.
Read: AI Ethics for Students →AI Ethics
The study of right and wrong in AI development and use, ensuring AI is fair and beneficial.
Read: AI Ethics for Students →Data Privacy
Protecting personal information from being misused by AI systems or companies.
Read: Is AI Safe for Kids? →ML Types
Supervised Learning
Training AI with labeled examples where the correct answers are provided.
Read: AI vs Machine Learning →Unsupervised Learning
Training AI to find patterns in data without being given the correct answers.
Reinforcement Learning
Training AI through trial and error, rewarding good decisions and penalizing bad ones.
Technical
API
Application Programming Interface - a way for different software programs to communicate and share AI capabilities.
Cloud Computing
Using powerful computers over the internet to run AI systems instead of on your own device.
GPU
Graphics Processing Unit - specialized computer chips that make AI training much faster.
History
Turing Test
A test to see if AI can convince a human that they're talking to another human.
Future
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Theoretical AI that could perform any intellectual task a human can do. Does not exist yet.
Read: AI Careers for Kids →Learn These Concepts in Depth
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