What Is AI, Really?

What Is AI, Really?

By Katherine McKean, Junior & AI Club President

When most people hear the words “artificial intelligence,” they either picture a killer robot uprising (thanks, Hollywood) or think about ChatGPT writing their essay at 11:59 p.m. But AI is so much more than movie plots and homework shortcuts. As a junior in high school and the president of our school’s AI Club, I get asked all the time: “What is AI, actually?” So let me break it down for you—the way I’d explain it to my friends during lunch or at our club meetings.

So, What Is AI?

At its core, artificial intelligence (AI) is when machines are built to do things that normally require human intelligence. That means tasks like recognizing faces, understanding language, recommending songs, or even driving a car. The goal of AI is to make computers “smart” enough to learn, reason, and improve over time.

There are different kinds of AI, but here are the big three you hear about most:

1. Machine Learning (ML)

This is probably the most common type of AI and the one we interact with the most. Machine learning is when a computer gets better at something the more data you give it. Imagine teaching a dog to sit: every time it sits correctly, it gets a treat. That’s kind of how machine learning works—except instead of treats, it gets feedback like “good job” or “try again.”

2. Neural Networks

Neural networks are a type of AI that’s actually inspired by the human brain (yes, really—science fiction kind of vibes, right?). Think of a neural network like a giant web of interconnected virtual “neurons” that pass information between each other. Each neuron makes tiny decisions based on what it sees, and when you layer a bunch of them together, the whole system becomes really good at spotting patterns—like recognizing a cat in a photo, translating a sentence into another language, or unlocking your phone with Face ID.

To make it relatable: imagine showing your friend 10,000 pictures of dogs and asking them to figure out what makes a dog a dog. At first, they might be confused by the variety—big dogs, small dogs, cartoon dogs, dogs wearing sunglasses. But over time, their brain picks up on the common traits: two ears, a snout, four legs, that classic dog vibe. Neural networks do the same thing, just with math instead of feelings. They process tons of examples and start to “understand” what makes something what it is—whether it’s a voice, a photo, or even a style of music.

Neural networks are the secret sauce behind a lot of AI we use every day: facial recognition, self-driving cars, voice assistants, and even the “magic” behind Snapchat filters that stick dog ears perfectly to your face. Cool and kind of creepy, right?

3. Generative AI

This is the fun one—and also the one we use in the AI Club a lot. Generative AI creates new content: images, text, music, even video. Tools like ChatGPT, DALL•E, and Sora (a video AI by OpenAI) are generative AIs. They learn from tons of existing stuff (like books, pictures, and videos) and then remix it to make something new.

AI in Your Pocket: Everyday Examples

You don’t have to be in an AI club to use AI. You already do. Here are some examples you probably interact with every single day:

  • TikTok’s “For You” Page: Tracks what you watch and uses that data to show you more of what you like.
  • Spotify Recommendations: Analyzes your listening habits to recommend songs.
  • Siri and Alexa: Understand and respond using natural language processing.
  • Snapchat Filters: Use facial recognition powered by neural networks.
  • Google Translate: Uses AI to understand and translate full sentences more accurately.
  • Auto-Correct and Predictive Text: Tries to guess your next word based on your habits (sometimes hilariously wrong).

Why It Matters (Even If You’re Not Into Tech)

Even if you have zero plans to study computer science, AI is going to affect your life—a lot. Think about:

  • College Admissions: Some universities use AI to review applications or predict success.
  • Jobs: Every industry—art, medicine, business, sports—is changing because of AI.
  • Social Media: Algorithms shape what you see, think, and feel.

That’s why understanding AI is so important. Not just so we can build it, but so we can use it responsibly.

What We Do in the AI Club

Our club isn’t just about coding (though some of us are total Python nerds). We explore AI through hands-on projects and real-world conversations. This semester, we are working on:

  • A chatbot that helps new students learn about our school.
  • Holding an AI art contest where students create pieces from text prompts.
  • Exploring AI in music.
  • Talking about ethics and bias—like how facial recognition can be less accurate on people with darker skin tones.

We try to make AI feel approachable and relevant. Because it is.

The Future of AI (and Us)

Right now, AI is kind of like electricity when it first came out: powerful, new, and a little scary. People are still figuring out how to use it safely and ethically. But one thing’s clear: it’s not going away.

In the future, AI might help:

  • Detect cancer earlier
  • Make self-driving cars safer
  • Predict natural disasters
  • Write better music (sorry, Taylor Swift)

But it could also:

  • Replace some jobs
  • Be used for surveillance
  • Spread misinformation

So yeah, it’s a double-edged sword. And it’s up to us to help shape the future. Learning about AI now—especially as students—is how we make sure the technology we grow up with actually works for us, not just around us.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

  • AI is about making machines smart.
  • Machine learning helps computers learn from data.
  • Neural networks recognize patterns (like faces).
  • Generative AI creates new content (like ChatGPT or AI art).
  • You already use AI every day—on your phone, in your feed.
  • Understanding AI matters for college, jobs, and life in general.

So next time someone says “AI is taking over,” you can smile and say, “Yeah, and I know exactly how it works.”

Because no matter where you’re from or what you want to do in life, understanding AI means understanding the world you’re stepping into—and maybe even shaping it yourself.

Want to bring the power of AI to your school? Check out this step-by-step guide on how to start your own AI club in high school.