AI Explained: A Quickstart Guide for Beginners

“.ai”

Many assume that this domain extension represents ‘AI’ of Artificial Intelligence. However, that is not the case.

It is a top-level domain (TLD) for Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. The domain name “.ai” was created as a country code domain for Anguilla, and in 2023, it generated a revenue of a little over $30 million in domain registrations—accounting to a whopping 20% of the government’s total revenue for the year! This domain name is popularly used by businesses related to artificial intelligence (AI).

What does this mean? Artificial Intelligence is not a trend. It’s a revolution in the making. 

In the early 2000s, the world shrunk to three letters: www. Now, a quarter century later, the world has shrunk even further, to these two letters: AI. AI has now grown into a household name rather than a fancy gimmick. From healthcare to finance, entertainment to manufacturing—there’s hardly an industry that has been left untouched in its wake. And, it is only going to grow exponentially in the coming years.

However, there’s a misconception that AI is only for tech wizards. Of course, its creation and application could only be done by a team of geniuses, but just like any technological creation, the end users are us. Anyone—like you and me—can understand and leverage AI in their business or daily life.

This post will help you get a picture of AI without having to go through all the technical jargon.

What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

AI is basically the capability of machines to mimic human intelligence. Barring emotions, AI can learn, reason and solve problems—at breakneck speeds, transcending humans in terms of efficiency. AI can recognize patterns, make decisions and in time, it is expected to program itself to adapt to intricate circumstances, without having to be programmed for every task.

How does AI pull this off? Through a handful of advanced technologies:

1. Machine Learning (ML): Algorithms that improve with experience. (e.g. Personalized product recommendations)
2. Deep Learning: A branch of ML that uses neural networks to process data. (e.g. Translation apps)
3. Natural Language Processing (NLP): A technology that helps AI understand and respond to human language (e.g. ChatGPT).
4. Computer Vision: AI’s ability to interpret images and videos (e.g. facial recognition on your phone).

What Are the Different Types of AI?

AI isn’t one supreme structure. It can be transformed into different forms, based on the requirement at hand. The most common types of AI are:

Narrow AI (Weak AI)

Weak AI is the basic form that specializes in undertaking a particular task. It can be super powerful, but only in its specific domain. Simply put, it’s one-dimensional.
Examples:

• Google Search
• Chatbots
• Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant
• Autonomous driving technology (Tesla’s autopilot)

General AI (Strong AI)

This is an AI that can more or less think and reason like humans, using its intelligence in multiple tasks across various situations.

Trivia: General AI isn’t finished. It’s still evolving as scientists are still working on creating machines that can think, learn, and make decisions just like humans without having to be pre-programmed.

Super AI (Theoretical AI)

Now, this is AI that surpasses human intelligence in every aspect—the next frontier in AI. Like the name suggests, it is still on paper but expect it to come alive, anytime.E.g. Since there are no real-time examples yet, I’d have to mention the movies, “The Matrix” and “Terminator” for your reference.

What Are Some of the Real-world Applications of AI?

Without a need to mention, AI is deeply ingrained in our daily lives—regardless of the fact that we realize it or not. Here are some real-world examples:

Smart Assistants & Chatbots

• Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant
• Customer service bots

Automotive & Traffic

• Self-driving technology in several vehicles
• AI-powered traffic predictions in Google Maps

AI in Photography & Creative Editing

• Face recognition on your phone
• AI-powered photo editors (Photoshop, LightRoom)
• Pic filters (Instagram and TikTok)

Healthcare & AI

• AI assisting in medical scans to identify disease
• Predicting pandemics using data analysis
• AI in medical record review to automate medical record analysis

AI in Finance

• Fraud detection for online transactions
• Stock market predictions
• AI invoice processing

Gaming & AI

• Creating characters in video games for 1v1 offline play
• Personalized gaming environment (imagine Fortnite and Call of Duty adapting to your playing style!)

And, this list just keeps on going! (We’ll do a separate blog to cover major application scenarios), but one thing’s for sure—AI is already shaping the present, not just the future!

The Future of AI – What’s Next?

AI is now evolving at a rapid pace and its impact will only grow in the coming years. Exciting? Scary? Or, a little bit of both? Well, here’s what we can expect:

1. Personalized AI Experiences: AI is slowly becoming an integral part of our lives and it is only going to ‘hyper-personalize’, as years tick by. Tailoring everything from education to shopping, AI will know even better than humans!
2. AI & Jobs: Yes, AI will automate repetitive tasks and that will free humans to focus on creative and strategic work. This eventually will lead to certain jobs being replaced, but like adoption of any new technology, we will have to up-skill to keep up.
3. AI & Art: In a matter of years, AI-generated art, movies, and music will become mainstream. ChatGPT and Deepseek are only the tip of the iceberg, that’s waiting to surface sooner or later.
4. Ethical AI & Regulations: With great powers, come great responsibilities. As AI becomes more powerful, regulations will have to be put in place to prevent misuse (with deep fakes, biased algorithms, and confidentiality concerns being the real challenges).

Bottom Line—Change is inevitable and AI isn’t going to replace humans, but it will enhance what we can do. Therefore, the key takeaway is to learn how to work with AI and not against it.

Why Should You Collaborate with DeepKnit AI?

We may be new here, but we have the experience in using technology and pioneer innovative IT solutions for the better of mankind. With more than two decades of experience in the sector, catering to industries like healthcare, legal and various others, we have what it takes to be the pioneer—yet again—as the world steps into the realm of AI.

DeepKnit AI is a customizable, well-trained AI model that can help businesses automate repetitive tasks like document processing and handle heavy lifting tasks like data management and analysis. Whether you are looking for AI-powered intelligent Chatbots, advanced ML learning models, AI training or predictive analytics, we’ve got you covered.

Final Thoughts

Let’s face it. AI is the today and the tomorrow. It is changing the world at a rapid pace and before we know it, AI will be omnipresent.

Therefore, it is important to understand what AI is (at least on a ground-level)—regardless of whether you are a student, a business owner or someone who is just curious. And, if you are ready to step foot into the world of AI, there’s no better choice than DeepKnit AI to kick-off your new expedition in the right way.