What is artificial intelligence? The concepts…

🤖 What is artificial intelligence? the ultimate guide for real people (not robots)

If you’re wondering what artificial intelligence is and why everyone’s talking about it, you’ve come to the right place buddy! You’re bombarded with“AI revolution” all day long, between the guys in suits selling you the dream and the conspiracists who see Skynet everywhere. Today, I’m going to tell you the real truth about artificial intelligence. No corporate bullshit, no incomprehensible technical terms. Just what you need to know in 2025

🔍 Chapter 1: AI For Dummies (but really)

What is artificial intelligence? The 2025 Definition

So what exactly is artificial intelligence? Basically, it’s giving a machine the ability to“learn” and“reason” like a human… Only better in some ways, only much more lame in others. 😅 Imagine teaching your dog to act pretty. At first, he sucks. You give him treats when he succeeds, say“no” when he screws up. After a while, he gets the hang of it. AI is the same, except

• Instead of a dog, you get an algorithm (a computer program)
• Instead of treats, you’ve got data (lots of it, like billions)
• And instead of you, you’ve got… well, you’ve still got you, but with a computer that farts fire 🔥

Seriously, when you think about it (I was in the shower when I had this revelation, lol), AI can do some crazy stuff

“AI is like an ultra-competent intern on specific tasks, but completely lost as soon as you step outside the defined framework.“-An anonymous data scientist after his third beer

💡 Chapter 2: The 7 deadly sins of AI

Okay, I’m not going to lie to you (like your ex does when he says he’s “just going to have a drink”). In this world of techno-optimist goodies, I’m going to give you the real crap no one dares say about AI

1. Data obesity

Modern AI models eat up obscene amounts of data. GPT-5 ingested the equivalent of 10 million pounds. The problem? It costs a kidney in servers, and ecologically, it’s a disaster

2. Hubris (over-promising)

“AI will solve world hunger!” Except no. 73% of AI projects fail (Gartner 2024 study). Most are just used to make prettier PowerPoint presentations

3. Deepfake porn

Yes, you can put anyone’s face on a porn star’s body. No, it’s not legal. Yes, it happens every day (540% increase in 2024)

4. Laziness (moronic auto-completion)

Thank you ChatGPT for lazy students. 68% of teachers report AI-generated homework (Turnitin 2025 study). The worst part? Sometimes it’s better than real student work… I admit I would have loved to have had this for my dissertation on Baudelaire in terminale!

5. Envy (technological race)

Google vs Meta vs OpenAI: a“my model is bigger than yours” race that costs billions, for advances that are often marginal

6. Anger (algorithmic bias)

In 2024, an AI recruitment system systematically rejected candidates named“Mohamed“. Why was this? Because the algo had learned from racist boomer data

7. Greed (abusive monetization)

Your“free” voice assistant? It sells your conversations to ads. Your fitness app? It sells your medical data. Welcome to 2025

🛠️ Chapter 3: How it really works (light tech)

Come on, a bit of technique, but in the“I drank 3 beers” version

💡 The different types of artificial intelligence

I’ll try not to confuse myself too much here (I’ve never been very good at technobabble). When it comes to AI, there are several types of artificial intelligence to be aware of: 🔹 Weak AI (ANI): Ultra-specialized (like Netflix recommendations) 🔹 General AI (AGI): The Holy Grail (not yet perfected) 🔹 Generative AI: ChatGPT, Midjourney and other digital artists 🔹 Super intelligent AI: SF… for now Most AI applications today use weak AI. It’s already revolutionary, but we’re a long way from the killer robots of the movies!

Three schools of Machine Learning

To understand what artificial intelligence is, we need to talk about machine learning and deep learning: 🧐 In short: Machine learning is when AI learns by itself from examples. Deep learning is a more advanced version that (loosely) mimics the human brain

Deep Learning: Artificial brain

Imagine virtual neurons connected in layers

1. Input layer: Receives data (an image, text)
2. Hidden layers: Transforms information in complex ways
3. Output layer: Gives the result (“it’s 97% cat“)

The more layers, the“deeper”(hence“deep learning“). GPT-4 has around 175 billion parameters. The human brain? About 100 trillion. Frankly, I didn’t understand it all at first either (and even skipped a few classes in college to go drinking). But at the end of the day, these technologies enable: ✅ Voice recognition (Siri, Alexa) ✅ Ultra-precise spam filters ✅ Personalized recommendations (thanks Spotify) ✅ Real-time fraud detection 🌍 AI applications: It’s already Changing Your Life

🛒 Chapter 4: AI in your daily life (spoiler: You’re already screwed)

So now, buckle up… Here’s a quick tour of the areas where AI is helping you without you even knowing it. That’s right! AI applications are everywhere, even if you don’t know it

Health: Dr. AI

• More accurate diagnoses than some doctors (Lancet 2024 study: +23% accuracy on cancers)
• Surgical robots that operate with sub-millimetre precision
• Detection of rare diseases by analyzing selfies (yes, seriously)

Job: Robot colleague

• Recruitment: 65% of CVs are sorted by AIs before a human sees them
• Copywriting: 40% of“human-written” articles on the web contain generated text
• Customer service: 85% of online chats are bots (and you don’t even realize it)

Love: Algorithmic Cupid

• Tinder uses AI to rank your“attractiveness score“
• Apps analyze your messages to predict your chances of a match
• AIs now generate hyper-realistic fictional profiles (creepy)

Justice: Robocop 2025

• Recidivism prediction used in some courts (controversial)
• Automatic analysis of video evidence
• Legal chatbots that help you contest a fine

And that’s just the beginning! The future of artificial intelligence promises even more integration into our lives. It reminds me of that movie I saw the other day… you know, the one with the robots… anyway, it’s creepy AND fascinating at the same time!

🔮 Chapter 5: The future (spoiler: it’s complicated)

Shall we look ahead? (as my ex said before dumping me) Here’s what’s in store for us in 5-10 years

The good news 🌈

• Personalized medicine: Tailor-made treatments based on your DNA
• Adaptive education: Courses that adjust to your level in real time
• Environment: Energy optimization for cities

Bad news ☠️

• Technological unemployment: 14% of jobs could disappear by 2030
• Surveillance: Widespread facial recognition
• Deepfakes: No longer possible to distinguish real from fake

Uncertainties 🤷

• AGI (general AI): Science fiction or real threat?
• Artificial consciousness: Can an algorithm“feel”?
• Singularity: The point at which AI will surpass human intelligence

🎯 Conclusion: Should we be afraid of the future of artificial intelligence?

Seriously, when it comes to the future of artificial intelligence, there are two schools of thought: 😍 The optimists who see generative AI solving all our problems 😱 The pessimists who predict the end of human work The truth? Probably somewhere in between. Personally, I’ve oscillated between the two camps (a bit like me at a party going from “one more drink!” to “no more alcohol” the next day). So, AI: angel or demon? As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in between

My personal advice? Stay curious, stay critical. Use generative AI tools to boost your productivity, but keep a critical eye. And above all, beware of techno gurus who promise you the best. Now, if you want to impress at parties, here’s your punchline: “AI is like fire. It can cook your steak or burn your house down. It all depends on how you use it.” 🔥