An Illustrated Guide to Machine Learning, Chatbots, Robots, AI Mistakes, and Using AI Wisely
by Laith Sad · How Technology Works for Kids
How does a tablet read a handwritten number, and why can a chatbot sound sure of something that is wrong? This illustrated book explains what AI systems do, how people build them, and why their answers still need checking.
Who it’s for
Kids ages 8 to 12 who are meeting AI in apps, voice assistants and chatbots, and the parents and teachers who want a starting point for talking about it. No coding or computer background is required.
What’s inside
- What counts as AI, with examples like handwriting recognition, video recommendations and voice assistants
- Machine learning shown with handwritten numbers: labeled examples, testing, and why incomplete data causes mistakes
- Neural networks in plain language
- How computers handle pictures made of pixels and recorded speech
- Generative AI: language models, chat assistants, image generators and how a prompt shapes the result
- The difference between AI software and robots that use sensors, controllers and motors
- The mistakes that matter, including invented facts, and the questions to ask before trusting an answer
- Eight chapters, five paper-and-pencil activities, answers, a glossary, references and an index
What you’ll be able to do
- Explain how an AI system learns patterns from examples
- Check an AI answer or image against real sources instead of taking it at face value
- Protect personal information and ask a trusted adult before trying a new tool
- Use an assistant for a hint or an idea while still doing their own thinking
About 75 pages · Ages 8–12 · Part of the How Technology Works for Kids series
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