Week 1 Module
Site: Massive Open Distance eLearning (MODeL) Printed by: Gaudencio III Lingamen
Course: AI Essentials: Theory and Practice (21 May-18 Jun 2025) Date: Wednesday, 21 May 2025, 9:
Book: Week 1 Module
Table of contents
1. What is AI?
2. How AI Shows Up in Daily Life?
3. How Does AI Work?
4. AI as a Decision Maker
5. Different Fields of AI
6. Clarifying AI, GenAI, and LLM
1. What is AI?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence.
This refers to the ability of machines to mimic human intelligence, enabling them to perform tasks such as learning, problem-solving, and
decision-making.
It is also the process of replicating human knowledge that involves:
Building models (computer programs) trained on massive amounts of data;
To performing tasks such as classification, prediction, and generation with outstanding accuracy.
Simply put, it means getting computers and machines to do things that normally require human intelligence—like learning, solving prob
and making decisions.
2. How AI Shows Up in Daily Life?
Have you ever:
That’s AI in action!
I’m not even referring to ChatGPT. Even before its rise, AI was already all around us—often operating behind the scenes, whether we no
it or not.
3. How Does AI Work?
AI works by learning from data. Just like we learn from experience, AI systems learn by finding patterns in huge amounts of information. The
they see, the better they get.
You might hear people say, “Data is the new oil.” That’s because AI needs a lot of data to function—just like a car needs fuel.
4. AI as a Decision Maker
AI doesn’t "think" like humans do, but it "makes decisions" by looking at patterns. For example, it can predict what word you might type nex
whether an email is spam.
In terms of learning:
AI learns by analyzing large datasets using algorithms. It identifies statistical patterns and makes predictions or classifications based
those patterns. The learning is quantitative and depends on the data it's trained on.
Humans, on the other hand, learn through lived experience, social interaction, and emotional engagement. We reflect, feel, an
apply lessons from real-world contexts, which enables flexible and empathetic learning.
AI can process more data faster, but lacks the depth of emotional or contextual understanding that human learning provides.
In terms of adaptability:
AI’s adaptability is constrained by the quality and scope of its training data. It can struggle when encountering situations or inputs th
differ significantly from what it has seen before.
Humans are highly adaptable—we can adjust to new environments, learn from limited experience, and generalize across domain
can also reason creatively when we encounter unfamiliar situations.
While AI excels in structured, repetitive environments, humans are superior in navigating uncertainty and novelty.
In terms of creativity:
AI can generate creative outputs (e.g., writing, music, design) based on what it has learned—but this is pattern-based creativity, not
original thought. It doesn’t “imagine” but rearranges learned elements in novel ways.
Humans can be genuinely original. We connect ideas across disciplines, express personal meaning, and innovate in ways AI cannot
replicate—often guided by intuition and emotion.
Implication: AI can assist with creativity but cannot replace the depth of human innovation.
In terms of decision-making:
AI decision-making is based on mathematical models and probability, which makes it powerful in optimization, forecasting, and
classification. However, it lacks moral reasoning and empathy.
Humans weigh logic alongside emotions, values, ethics, and social norms. We can pause, reconsider, and choose not just what’s o
—but what’s right.
Implication: AI can support decision-making but should not make high-stakes decisions without human oversight.
Overall...
AI and human intelligence are not in competition—they are complementary. AI can enhance efficiency, pattern recognition, and data-drive
insights. Human intelligence brings judgment, empathy, adaptability, and meaning—qualities essential for responsible AI use.
5. Different Fields of AI
AI isn’t just one thing—it’s a collection of specialized fields working together. Here are some of the most common areas of AI:
Machine Learning: When machines learn from data and improve over time without being explicitly programmed.
Computer Vision: When AI interprets and understands images or visual input—like facial recognition or object detection.
Natural Language Processing: When AI understands, interprets, and responds to human language—used in chatbots, translation, an
analysis.
Generative AI: When AI creates new content, such as text, images, music, or video, based on learned patterns (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL·E)
Robotics: When AI powers physical machines to move, act, or respond in real-world environments.
AI is growing fast, and new ideas are being added all the time!
6. Clarifying AI, GenAI, and LLM
AI is not equal to GenAI. AI is not equal to LLMs. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they refer to different parts of the
broader AI landscape.
Generative AI (GenAI)
GenAI is a subfield of AI focused on generating new content—like text, images, audio, or video—based on patterns it has learned from
large datasets.
It doesn’t just analyze data; it creates something new, often in ways that feel human-like.
Large Language Models (LLMs)
LLMs are a specific type of Generative AI designed to generate human-like text.
They work by analyzing vast amounts of text during training and learning patterns in language.
When given a prompt (e.g., “The capital of Taiwan is ___”), the model predicts and generates the most likely next words based on wha
has learned.
