Stop Using The Term ‘AI’, What To Use Instead

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's frustration with the overuse and poor definition of the term "AI" (Artificial Intelligence), particularly in the context of tech industry marketing and TED talks. The author proposes a three-level classification system to better define and differentiate between machine learning, generative AI, and the broader concept of "any algorithm ever" that is often incorrectly labeled as "AI".

🙋 Q&A

[01] The author's frustration with the term "AI"

1. What are the author's main issues with the term "AI"?

• The term "AI" is incredibly poorly defined and used as a broad marketing buzzword, rather than a specific technical term.
• The author finds the term "Apple Intelligence" (Apple's version of "AI") to be a particularly bad name.
• The author believes the term "AI" is often used incorrectly to refer to a wide range of computer applications and algorithms, rather than a specific set of techniques.

2. How does the author propose to better classify and define different types of "AI"?

• The author proposes a three-level classification system:
  1. Machine learning (ML) - a specific type of algorithm that learns from data to make predictions.
  2. Generative AI - algorithms that generate new content like text or images, often based on ML.
  3. "Any algorithm ever" - the broadest definition of "AI" that the author believes is often misused.

3. Why does the author dislike the term "General AI" or "AGI"?

• The author considers "General AI" or "AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence) to be a meaningless and poorly defined term, with people constantly moving the goalposts on what it actually means.

[02] The author's views on different types of "AI"

1. What is the author's view on machine learning (ML)?

• The author sees ML as a much more focused and well-defined term than "AI", encompassing algorithms that learn from data to make predictions.
• The author believes many of Apple's new features are built on ML, and that it is a powerful technique when used correctly.

2. How does the author describe generative AI?

• Generative AI refers to algorithms that generate new content like text or images, often based on machine learning techniques.
• The author prefers the term "generative AI" over just "AI" because it is more descriptive of the specific capabilities of the technology.

3. What is the author's view on the term "AI" in general?

• The author believes the term "AI" is a completely meaningless marketing buzzword that is often misused to refer to a wide range of computer applications and algorithms.
• The author argues that terms like "classification AI" or "vision AI" would be more appropriate than just using the broad term "AI".