Module 1 · What AI Really Is
Types of AI: Narrow, General, and the Hype Curve
55 min
Learning objectives
- Distinguish narrow AI from artificial general intelligence (AGI)
- Explain why all AI in production today is narrow
- Evaluate AI claims critically against the hype cycle
Narrow vs. general
Every AI system in use today is narrow: it does one kind of task. A model that writes text cannot drive a car; a model that detects tumors cannot translate French. They appear broad because the tasks (like language) are themselves broad — but each is still a specialized system.
Narrow AI — AI specialized for a specific task or domain. All deployed AI today is narrow.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) — Hypothetical AI matching human flexibility across essentially any task. It does not exist today.
Watch out
When a vendor claims their product 'has AGI' or 'thinks like a human,' treat it as marketing. No such system exists as of 2026.
Reading the hype curve
New technologies tend to follow a hype cycle: a peak of inflated expectations, a trough of disillusionment, then a realistic plateau of productivity. AI capabilities are real and growing — but specific product claims are often ahead of reality. A practitioner asks: what task, on what data, with what measured accuracy?
Good practitioner reflex: translate any AI claim into 'which specific task does it do, and how well is that measured?'
Knowledge check
Quick practice — not part of your exam score.
Which statement about today's AI systems is accurate?
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