Say it like this

A computer that has looked at so many examples it can start guessing about things it has never seen before.

For the grown-up

Artificial intelligence covers a family of techniques where a system learns statistical patterns from large volumes of examples rather than following hand-written rules, then applies those patterns to new inputs. The output can look like judgment. The process underneath it is pattern matching at very large scale.

The easy mistake

Careful here. Avoid saying the computer thinks, knows or understands. It is the most common shortcut in children material about AI and it is expensive to undo later, because every sensible conversation about what AI can be trusted with depends on that boundary being clear.

The full explanation

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

A glossary entry is the short version. This one has the child explanation, the grown-up explanation, the questions and an activity.

Read it

Words next to this one

Pattern Something that keeps happening the same way, so you can start guessing what comes next. Data All the little bits of information somebody collected. Facts, numbers, pictures, anything you can write down. Example One of the things you show a computer so it can learn. Show it a thousand and it starts noticing what they share. Algorithm A list of steps for getting something done, written out so carefully that a machine can follow it. Robot A machine with a body that does a job, and somebody had to teach it how.