====Artificial Intelligence - Ins and Outs====

There are a variety of different types of Artificial Intelligence (AI) system, but at the most basic an AI **converts a set of inputs to a set of outputs**.

===Defining the Question ===

To build an AI, the first thing you need to do is begin with your //question//. What are you trying to achieve? This tells you what the //output// of your AI needs to be.

For instance, you might want an AI that tells you **if the water in a coffee cup is too hot.**

===Define the Outputs===

Now that we know the question, we can come up with the outputs we need.

In this case, our output is simple - we simply want digital signal. We're just looking for a single output that we will call **Too Hot**. It should indicate if the coffee is too hot to serve.

===Defining the Inputs===

Now we need to define our //inputs//. This is the information that the AI can use to calculate the outputs.

In this example case, our input is the **temperature we're measuring in our cup**.

Drawing our AI, we end up with the picture below...

{{:cognition:ai_basic_layout.png?300|}}

In the above image, we have our **temperature** as an //input// to the AI, and the **too hot** status as the //output// of the AI.

It's the job of the actual AI to convert the set of inputs you've chosen to the set of outputs you've made.

For example, these are the two output patterns we're looking for...

{{:cognition:aibasicactive.png?350|}}

[[Weak vs Strong AI|Next - Weak vs Strong AIs]].