29 Oct
Remember when we thought having a phone with a colour screen was mind-blowing? Well, nowadays we’ve got AI writing poetry and blockchain… doing whatever blockchain does (don’t worry, we’ll get to that). Let’s break down a few buzzwords that have your uncle at family dinners pretending he’s a tech guru.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• What it sounds like: A futuristic technology that mimics human thought and emotions.
• What it actually is: Software that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, like recognizing faces, understanding language, or playing chess. It doesn’t “think” like a human but follows programmed rules and patterns to solve specific problems.
Here’s where you already use AI:
– When Netflix suggests another show you’ll binge-watch instead of sleeping.
– When Spotify somehow knows you’re going through a breakup and plays THAT song.
– When autocorrect changes “ducking” to what you actually meant to say.
Blockchain
• What it sounds like: To be honest, I did not have a clue what the blockchain was. So, I thought nothing!
• What it actually is: A fancy digital database that everyone can see, and nobody can sneakily change.
Real-world parallel: You know how the bank keeps a database of how much money each of us have in our account? The blockchain functions as a similar database except we don’t have to take the banks word for it. The blockchain is a public database that is extremely hard to tamper with and is available for everyone to see.
Interesting facts:
– Once something’s written into the database (blockchain), the record is there forever.
– It’s not just for cryptocurrency, it’s useful for tracking any digital asset where trust is important.
The blockchain is here to stay, it’s one of the only ways to prove ownership of your digital stuff.
Cloud Computing
• What it sounds like: Abstract storage floating on the internet.
• What it actually is: Using someone else’s computers to store your stuff or run programs. It’s like renting storage space in a warehouse instead of keeping everything in your garage.
Real world example: When you save a photo to Google Photos, you’re just sending it to Google’s computers.
Algorithm
• What it sounds like: A complex, mysterious process that only computers understand.
• What it actually is: A set of instructions for solving a problem. For example, a recipe is an algorithm for cooking. In tech, algorithms often guide decisions in things like recommending videos or showing search results.
E.g. YouTube algorithm – If John spends more than 4min watching cat videos, recommend more cat videos.
Conclusion
Technology is just like that friend who uses big words to sound smart – once you get to know them, you realize they’re not so complicated after all. They might be a little bit of a show off at times but they’re just trying their best to be helpful.
Got any words you would like us to explore together? Leave a comment wherever you can find us or send that carrier pigeon! (We don’t judge, okay maybe a little)🤷♂️
See you in the next article,
Mpho
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