By: Akli Adjaoute

AI isn’t magic. It’s just a computer program that’s really good at spotting patterns. Feed it enough examples like online content, books from digital libraries, product descriptions, and customer questions, and it learns to predict what comes next.

AI may feel like a futuristic leap, but its roots go back to 1956 when researchers coined the term “Artificial Intelligence” at a Dartmouth workshop. In the 1960s, Arthur Samuel developed a checkers-playing program that beat skilled players and was featured on national television. In 1997, IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, solving a challenge long seen as a benchmark for human strategic thinking. Then, in 2011, IBM Watson won against two of Jeopardy!’s greatest champions. This time, it wasn’t about numbers or board moves but understanding complex questions, wordplay, and natural language.

Still, for most people, AI remained a distant, corporate-level tool: powerful but out of reach.

For decades, these advancements remained mainly in the hands of scientists, corporations, and research institutions.

Then came November 2022, and ChatGPT was released publicly, marking a true breakthrough. AI wasn’t locked behind research labs or expensive corporate budgets for the first time. It was free to try, easy to use, and impressively effective. Suddenly, millions of people could use powerful AI tools directly from their smartphones. ChatGPT could help users write, solve problems, learn more effectively, and even assist with coding, content creation, language learning, and more. Whether drafting an email, brainstorming ideas, studying for exams, or generating creative content, ChatGPT provides instant access to expert-level knowledge and tools, all at your fingertips.

So, how does it do that?

To understand how ChatGPT works, it's essential to know that although AI doesn’t understand as humans do, it has a unique ability to mimic and apply patterns at a speed and scale we can’t match. That’s why it can draft a business plan, rewrite your pitch, or brainstorm marketing ideas, even if you’ve never written one. It has seen millions of examples and can remix that knowledge on demand to generate fresh, helpful content.

In short, AI works like a supercharged autocomplete. It examines the data it has been trained on, identifies patterns, and makes educated guesses. While it’s not perfect, its strength lies in speed, adaptability, and the ability to improve over time.

The Bright Side

Imagine a world where traffic flows effortlessly, diseases are detected before symptoms appear, and your digital assistant manages everything from scheduling meetings to offering health recommendations. While we’re still a few decades away from fully realizing this vision, artificial intelligence quietly transforms our world in once-unimaginable ways. Its potential to reshape industries and improve our daily lives is unfolding at an accelerating pace.

AI is becoming essential to almost every aspect of our lives, from personal tasks and work to health and entertainment. Over the past few years, it has made daily routines easier and more connected. AI-powered chatbots offer real-time support and information, while smartwatches and wearables help monitor our health by providing important updates. Tasks like scheduling, travel planning, and shopping are also streamlined by AI, helping us manage our time and activities more efficiently. Virtual assistants, such as voice-activated tools, are increasingly organizing our daily routines and allowing us to perform tasks hands-free.

Beyond personal use, AI is driving profound transformation across industries. In business, it helps companies predict trends, optimize operations, and enhance customer experiences by analyzing data and automating repetitive tasks. In healthcare, AI supports early disease detection, robotic surgeries, and drug discovery, improving patient outcomes while streamlining operations.

AI is also strengthening security and trust. It plays a crucial role in fraud prevention, detecting suspicious activities like money laundering and fraudulent financial transactions. At the same time, it supports cybersecurity efforts by analyzing vast amounts of data to predict threats and protect critical infrastructure.

Governments worldwide are using AI to improve public services. From adjusting traffic flow to predicting resource needs, AI is making systems more responsive and efficient. In defense, it’s also playing a growing role in strengthening cybersecurity and helping