Confused by AI? 6 Key Concepts Explained in Plain English

If you are at a funny age, as I am, then you are probably not unaware of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  You probably even use it to one extent or another.  However, this area of technology – both attractive and scary as hell at the same time, develops so quickly that perhaps a lot of us simply shrug our shoulders and let the tsunami of terminology flow over us, nod knowingly (or give our best approximation of being fully savvy with it all) and carry on regardless.  If you are nodding knowingly right now, then perhaps it’s time to have a look at the video below, which compartmentalises AI into six core concepts and then continues by explaining them in words that most of us will understand.  It all boils down to trying to make a computer as smart or smarter than we are. 

The six core concepts covered are LLM, Model Training, RAG, Agents, MCP and System Prompt.  If these mean little or nothing to you, then hang around, perhaps.  Or, as my grandmother probably would have done, suck on a sherbet lemon, tut loudly, and walk away.

This video is presented by Jeff Crume of IBM, whose job title is apparently Distinguished Engineer.  I think I am going to start putting distinguished before my own job title – it seems like a good idea to me (in fact, an excellent one).  Crome uses an analogy (us!) to explain AI and I definitely felt a little the wiser by the end of it.  However, why did I keep on thinking Terminator as it played?  Watch the video explaining AI below.