Back to AI Foundation

AI Glossary

Business-friendly definitions of AI terms and concepts you need to know. Understand the language of AI to make informed decisions about your business.

Core Concepts

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Definition

Technology that enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.

Business Context

AI helps businesses automate processes, make predictions, and improve decision-making.

Core Concepts

Machine Learning (ML)

Definition

A subset of AI where computers learn from data to make predictions or decisions without explicit programming.

Business Context

Used for customer behavior prediction, fraud detection, and process optimization.

Core Concepts

Deep Learning

Definition

A type of machine learning using neural networks with multiple layers to process complex patterns.

Business Context

Powerful for image recognition, natural language processing, and complex pattern detection.

Core Concepts

Neural Network

Definition

A computing system inspired by biological brains, consisting of interconnected nodes that process information.

Business Context

The foundation of modern AI systems, used for pattern recognition and decision-making.

Data & Analytics

Big Data

Definition

Extremely large datasets that can be analyzed to reveal patterns, trends, and associations.

Business Context

Enables businesses to make data-driven decisions and discover insights from customer behavior.

Data & Analytics

Data Mining

Definition

The process of discovering patterns and relationships in large datasets.

Business Context

Helps businesses understand customer preferences, market trends, and operational inefficiencies.

Data & Analytics

Predictive Analytics

Definition

Using historical data to predict future events or outcomes.

Business Context

Used for sales forecasting, customer churn prediction, and demand planning.

Data & Analytics

Data Pipeline

Definition

A series of processes that collect, transform, and deliver data to its destination.

Business Context

Ensures data flows efficiently from source systems to AI applications.

Natural Language Processing

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Definition

AI technology that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.

Business Context

Powers chatbots, sentiment analysis, and automated document processing.

Natural Language Processing

Chatbot

Definition

An AI-powered conversational agent that can interact with users through text or voice.

Business Context

Provides 24/7 customer support, handles common inquiries, and improves customer experience.

Natural Language Processing

Sentiment Analysis

Definition

The process of determining whether a piece of text expresses positive, negative, or neutral sentiment.

Business Context

Helps businesses understand customer satisfaction and brand perception from reviews and social media.

Natural Language Processing

Text Mining

Definition

Extracting meaningful information and insights from unstructured text data.

Business Context

Used for analyzing customer feedback, social media posts, and document processing.

Computer Vision

Computer Vision

Definition

AI technology that enables computers to interpret and understand visual information from images and videos.

Business Context

Used for quality control, facial recognition, and automated visual inspection.

Computer Vision

Image Recognition

Definition

The ability of AI to identify and classify objects, people, or scenes in images.

Business Context

Applied in manufacturing quality control, retail analytics, and security systems.

Computer Vision

Object Detection

Definition

Locating and identifying multiple objects within an image or video.

Business Context

Used in autonomous vehicles, retail inventory management, and security monitoring.

Computer Vision

Facial Recognition

Definition

Technology that identifies or verifies individuals based on facial features.

Business Context

Used for security access control, customer identification, and personalized experiences.

Business Applications

Automation

Definition

Using technology to perform tasks without human intervention.

Business Context

Reduces costs, improves efficiency, and allows employees to focus on higher-value work.

Business Applications

Process Optimization

Definition

Improving business processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Business Context

AI analyzes workflows to identify bottlenecks and suggest improvements.

Business Applications

Personalization

Definition

Tailoring products, services, or experiences to individual customer preferences.

Business Context

Increases customer satisfaction, engagement, and conversion rates.

Business Applications

Recommendation Engine

Definition

AI system that suggests products, content, or services based on user behavior and preferences.

Business Context

Drives sales, improves customer experience, and increases customer lifetime value.

Technical Terms

Algorithm

Definition

A set of rules or instructions that AI systems follow to solve problems or make decisions.

Business Context

The 'recipe' that tells AI how to process data and generate insights.

Technical Terms

Model Training

Definition

The process of teaching an AI model to recognize patterns by feeding it data.

Business Context

Requires quality data and can take days to weeks depending on complexity.

Technical Terms

API (Application Programming Interface)

Definition

A set of rules that allows different software applications to communicate with each other.

Business Context

Enables businesses to integrate AI services into existing systems and workflows.

Technical Terms

Cloud Computing

Definition

Delivering computing services over the internet, including AI capabilities.

Business Context

Makes AI accessible to businesses without requiring expensive infrastructure.

Ethics & Governance

AI Ethics

Definition

Principles and guidelines for responsible AI development and deployment.

Business Context

Ensures AI systems are fair, transparent, and beneficial to society.

Ethics & Governance

Bias

Definition

Systematic prejudice in AI systems that can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.

Business Context

Must be identified and mitigated to ensure fair treatment of all users.

Ethics & Governance

Transparency

Definition

The degree to which AI systems' decision-making processes can be understood and explained.

Business Context

Builds trust with customers and helps meet regulatory requirements.

Ethics & Governance

Data Privacy

Definition

Protecting personal information and ensuring it's used appropriately.

Business Context

Critical for compliance with regulations and maintaining customer trust.

Ready to Apply These Concepts?

Now that you understand the key AI terms, let's explore how these concepts can be applied to your business.