Glossary of Artificial Intelligence (AI) terms

Paul Onu

Dec 14, 2023 — 10 min read

AI Glossary

AI (Artificial Intelligence): The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, typically computer systems, to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence.
Machine Learning (ML): A subset of AI that involves training algorithms to learn from data and make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed.
Deep Learning: A subfield of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks with multiple layers to model and solve complex tasks.
Neural Network: A computational model inspired by the human brain, consisting of interconnected nodes (neurons) used for various AI tasks.
Supervised Learning: A machine learning technique where the algorithm is trained on labeled data, learning to make predictions based on input-output pairs.
Unsupervised Learning: A machine learning technique where the algorithm learns patterns and structures within data without labeled outputs.
Reinforcement Learning: A machine learning paradigm where an agent learns to make decisions through trial and error, receiving rewards or penalties.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): A subfield of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language, enabling machines to understand, interpret, and generate text or speech.
Computer Vision: A field of AI that allows machines to interpret and understand visual information from the world, such as images and videos.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): A form of AI that has the ability to understand, learn, and apply knowledge in a way that is indistinguishable from human intelligence.
Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI): AI systems that are specialized and excel at a single specific task but lack general intelligence.
Algorithm: A set of step-by-step instructions for solving a specific problem or completing a task in AI and computer science.
Feature Engineering: The process of selecting and transforming relevant data features for use in machine learning models.
Data Preprocessing: Cleaning, transforming, and organizing data to make it suitable for machine learning algorithms.
Overfitting: A common issue in machine learning where a model performs well on training data but poorly on unseen data due to excessive complexity.
Underfitting: The opposite of overfitting, where a model is too simple to capture the underlying patterns in data.
Bias (in AI): Systematic errors in predictions or decisions made by AI systems, often due to biased training data or algorithms.
Variance (in AI): The sensitivity of a machine learning model to variations in the training data, which can lead to overfitting.
Supervised Learning Algorithm: Algorithms such as Linear Regression, Decision Trees, and Neural Networks that are used in supervised learning tasks.
Clustering: An unsupervised learning technique that groups data points into clusters based on similarity.
Classification: A supervised learning task where the goal is to assign labels or categories to input data.
Regression: A supervised learning task that aims to predict a continuous numerical output.
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN): A type of neural network designed for processing grid-like data, such as images.
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A neural network architecture suitable for sequence data, where information is passed from one step to the next.
Transfer Learning: The practice of using a pre-trained model as a starting point for a new machine learning task.
Autoencoder: A neural network architecture used for dimensionality reduction and feature learning.
Gaussian Distribution: A probability distribution often used in statistics and machine learning to model data.
Logistic Regression: A regression model used for binary classification tasks.
Natural Language Understanding (NLU): A subset of NLP focused on enabling AI to comprehend and interpret human language.
Natural Language Generation (NLG): The AI-driven process of generating human-like text or speech.
Speech Recognition: AI technology that converts spoken language into written text.
Chatbot: An AI application designed to engage in text or voice-based conversations with users.
Recommendation System: AI software that suggests products, content, or services based on user preferences and behavior.
Big Data: Extremely large and complex data sets that require specialized processing techniques, often used in AI and machine learning.
Semi-supervised Learning: A combination of supervised and unsupervised learning, where a model is trained on both labeled and unlabeled data.
Ensemble Learning: The practice of combining multiple machine learning models to improve predictive performance.
Decision Tree: A graphical representation of decisions and their consequences, often used for classification and regression tasks.
Random Forest: An ensemble learning method that combines multiple decision trees to improve accuracy and reduce overfitting.
Gradient Descent: An optimization algorithm used to train machine learning models by adjusting model parameters.
Loss Function: A mathematical function that measures the difference between predicted and actual values, used in model training.
Reinforcement Learning Agent: The AI entity that interacts with an environment and learns to maximize a cumulative reward.
Markov Decision Process (MDP): A mathematical framework used in reinforcement learning to model decision-making problems.
Q-Learning: A reinforcement learning algorithm used to learn optimal action-selection policies in an MDP.
Deep Reinforcement Learning: The combination of deep learning and reinforcement learning, often used in game-playing AI.
Artificial Neural Network (ANN): A computational model inspired by biological neural networks, used in machine learning and AI.
Perceptron: The simplest form of a neural network, used for binary classification.
Backpropagation: The process of updating neural network weights to minimize errors during training.
Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM): A type of recurrent neural network architecture designed to capture long-term dependencies in sequential data.
Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU): Another type of recurrent neural network that simplifies the architecture compared to LSTM.
Word Embedding: A technique to represent words as numerical vectors in NLP, e.g., Word2Vec and GloVe.
Tokenization: The process of breaking down text into smaller units, such as words or sentences, for analysis.
Bag of Words (BoW): A simple NLP model that represents text as a collection of words, ignoring word order.
Named Entity Recognition (NER): The task of identifying and classifying named entities in text, such as names of people, places, and organizations.
Sentiment Analysis: A form of NLP that determines the sentiment or emotion expressed in text, often used in social media monitoring.
Part-of-Speech (POS) Tagging: Identifying the grammatical category of words in a text, e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives.
Chatbot Framework: Development frameworks like Dialogflow and Rasa for building chatbots and conversational AI applications.
Word2Vec: An algorithm for generating word embeddings from large text corpora.
GloVe (Global Vectors for Word Representation): A pre-trained word embedding model.
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A type of neural network that processes sequential data with loops or cycles.
One-Hot Encoding: A technique used to convert categorical data into numerical format.
Support Vector Machine (SVM): A supervised machine learning algorithm used for classification and regression.
Principal Component Analysis (PCA): A dimensionality reduction technique used to simplify data while retaining important features.
K-Means Clustering: A popular unsupervised learning algorithm for grouping data points into clusters.
K-Nearest Neighbors (K-NN): A simple classification algorithm that assigns labels based on the majority class of its neighbors.
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A neural network architecture suitable for sequence data, where information is passed from one step to the next.
Generative Adversarial Network (GAN): A neural network architecture involving two networks, a generator and a discriminator, used for generating synthetic data.
Fuzzy Logic: A mathematical framework for dealing with uncertainty in data, often used in AI and control systems.
Turing Test: A measure of a machine's ability to exhibit human-like intelligence, introduced by Alan Turing.
Markov Chain: A stochastic model that describes a sequence of events where the probability of each event depends only on the previous event.
Recommender System Algorithm: Algorithms like Collaborative Filtering and Content-Based Filtering used in recommendation systems.
Natural Language Processing API: Application Programming Interfaces for accessing NLP tools and services, such as Google Cloud NLP.
Sentiment Analysis Tool: Software that analyzes sentiment in text data, often used in social media monitoring and customer feedback analysis.
Speech-to-Text: AI technology that converts spoken language into written text, also known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).
Text-to-Speech: AI technology that converts written text into spoken language.
Data Mining: The process of discovering patterns and information from large datasets.
Data Warehouse: A repository for storing and managing large volumes of structured data, often used for business intelligence and data analysis.
Cloud Computing: A technology that allows the use of remote servers on the internet to store, manage, and process data.
Edge Computing: Processing data closer to its source, reducing latency and improving efficiency, often used in IoT and AI applications.
IoT (Internet of Things): A network of physical devices and objects embedded with sensors and connected to the internet for data collection and automation.
AI Ethics: The study of moral and ethical issues related to the development and use of AI.
AI Bias Mitigation: Techniques and strategies to reduce bias in AI systems, ensuring fairness and equity.
Explainable AI (XAI): The capability of AI systems to provide clear, understandable explanations for their decisions and predictions.
Fairness in AI: Ensuring AI systems do not discriminate against individuals or groups based on factors such as race, gender, or age.
Machine Ethics: The study of ethical issues arising from the behavior of AI and autonomous systems.
Data Privacy: Protecting individuals' personal information and ensuring it is used responsibly in AI and data analysis.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): A European regulation designed to protect the privacy and data of individuals.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): A U.S. law that governs the security and privacy of healthcare data.
Exascale Computing: A level of computing performance that is a billion billion calculations per second (an exaflop).
Quantum Computing: A type of computing that uses quantum bits (qubits) and has the potential to perform certain calculations much faster than classical computers.
Heuristic: A problem-solving approach that uses experience-based rules or methods to find solutions, often used in AI search algorithms.
Natural Language Generation (NLG): The AI-driven process of generating human-like text or speech.
Speech Synthesis: The artificial production of human speech, also known as Text-to-Speech (TTS).
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A type of neural network architecture suitable for processing sequential data.
Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM): A type of RNN that is capable of learning and remembering long-term dependencies in data.
Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU): A simplified version of the LSTM used in RNNs.
Word Embedding: Techniques such as Word2Vec and GloVe that represent words as numerical vectors in NLP.
Tokenization: The process of splitting text into smaller units, like words or sentences, for analysis.
Bag of Words (BoW): A basic NLP model that represents text as a collection of words, ignoring word order.
Named Entity Recognition (NER): Identifying and categorizing named entities in text, such as names of people, places, and organizations.
Sentiment Analysis: A form of NLP that determines the sentiment or emotion expressed in text, often used in social media monitoring.
Part-of-Speech (POS) Tagging: Identifying the grammatical category of words in a text, e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives.
Chatbot Framework: Development frameworks like Dialogflow and Rasa for building chatbots and conversational AI applications.
Word2Vec: An algorithm for generating word embeddings from large text corpora.
GloVe (Global Vectors for Word Representation): A pre-trained word embedding model.
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A type of neural network architecture suitable for sequence data, where information is passed from one step to the next.
Generative Adversarial Network (GAN): A neural network architecture involving two networks, a generator and a discriminator, used for generating synthetic data.
Fuzzy Logic: A mathematical framework for dealing with uncertainty in data, often used in AI and control systems.
Turing Test: A measure of a machine's ability to exhibit human-like intelligence, introduced by Alan Turing.
Markov Chain: A stochastic model that describes a sequence of events where the probability of each event depends only on the previous event.
Recommender System Algorithm: Algorithms like Collaborative Filtering and Content-Based Filtering used in recommendation systems.
Natural Language Processing API: Application Programming Interfaces for accessing NLP tools and services, such as Google Cloud NLP.
Sentiment Analysis Tool: Software that analyzes sentiment in text data, often used in social media monitoring and customer feedback analysis.
Speech-to-Text: AI technology that converts spoken language into written text, also known as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR).
Text-to-Speech: AI technology that converts written text into spoken language.
Data Mining: The process of discovering patterns and information from large datasets.
Data Warehouse: A repository for storing and managing large

Glossary of Generative AI Terms

Generative AI: Generative AI refers to a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new data, such as images, text, or even music, rather than just making predictions or classifications. It often uses generative models.
Generative Model: A type of AI model designed to generate new data that is similar to a given dataset. Examples include Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs).
Variational Autoencoder (VAE): A generative model that combines elements of autoencoders and probabilistic modeling to generate data. VAEs are commonly used for generating diverse and realistic data points.
Generative Adversarial Network (GAN): A generative model that consists of two neural networks, a generator, and a discriminator, which compete against each other. The generator aims to produce realistic data, while the discriminator attempts to distinguish real from fake data.
Latent Space: A multi-dimensional space where data is represented in a more abstract form, making it easier for generative models to manipulate and generate new data.
Conditional Generation: Generating data with certain conditions or constraints. For example, text-to-image generation with a specific textual description.
Natural Language Generation (NLG): A subfield of generative AI that focuses on generating human-like text or language, often used in chatbots, content generation, and translation services.
Text Generation: The process of using generative models to create written content, such as articles, stories, or poetry, using AI algorithms like Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) or Transformer models.
Image Generation: Creating images using generative models, including techniques like GANs, where the generator network generates images from random noise.
Style Transfer: A technique used in generative AI to apply the artistic style of one image to the content of another, creating visually appealing results.
Autoencoder: A type of neural network used in generative models that compresses data into a lower-dimensional representation (encoder) and then reconstructs it (decoder). Autoencoders can be used for data generation and denoising.
Sequence-to-Sequence (Seq2Seq): A neural network architecture used for various generative tasks, like machine translation and text summarization, where it takes a sequence of input data and generates a sequence of output data.
Conditional GAN (cGAN): A variation of GAN where the generator and discriminator are conditioned on specific data or labels, allowing for more controlled data generation.
Recurrent Neural Network (RNN): A type of neural network architecture often used for sequential data generation, such as text generation, due to its ability to maintain context over time.
Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM): A specific type of RNN that is capable of learning long-range dependencies in data, making it effective for sequence generation tasks.
Transformer Model: A deep learning architecture that has been highly successful in natural language processing and is used for various generative tasks, such as text generation and machine translation.
Attention Mechanism: A component used in many generative models, like Transformers, that allows the model to focus on specific parts of the input data when generating output, improving accuracy and coherence.
Data Augmentation: A technique used in generative AI to create additional training data by applying transformations or perturbations to the existing data, improving the model's generalization.
Mode Collapse: A common issue in GANs where the generator produces a limited variety of outputs, failing to capture the full diversity of the training data.
Top-k Sampling: A method used in text generation to select the top-k most likely words as the next word in a sequence, enhancing diversity and control in the generated text.
AI Prompt: An AI prompt is a specific instruction or query provided to an artificial intelligence system, like a language model. It serves as a request for the AI to generate a response, complete a task, or provide information based on the input it receives. The quality and clarity of the prompt greatly influence the AI's output. Well-crafted prompts are essential to obtain accurate and relevant responses from AI models.