In Augment’s notes, a marked term shows its definition when you hover or tap it, and each page ends with the terms it introduces.
306 terms from Content, each defined in a sentence or two, with the part of the syllabus where you first meet it.
A component that turns a control signal into physical action, such as a motor that turns a wheel, a hydraulic cylinder that lifts an arm or a speaker that produces sound.
The laws, regulations, standards, policies and institutions that guide and limit how AI systems are developed, deployed and used, at company, national and international levels.
An output from a generative AI system that is presented as fact but is false, invented or not supported by its sources, such as a made-up citation or legal case.
A period in which interest, funding and research in AI fall sharply after the technology fails to meet inflated expectations, as happened in about 1974 to 1980 and 1987 to the early 1990s.
A finite, ordered set of clear instructions that takes some input and produces an output, in order to solve a specific problem or perform a specific task.
The obligation of organisations that design or use algorithms to take responsibility for their outcomes, explain how decisions were reached, allow people to challenge them and correct any harm caused.
Systematic and repeatable errors in an algorithm's outputs that create unfair outcomes for particular people or groups, arising from its data, its design or the way it is used.
A measure of the resources, mainly the number of steps (time) and the amount of memory, that an algorithm uses to produce its output, especially as the amount of input data grows.
The aim that an algorithm's outcomes treat people and groups justly; there are several competing definitions, such as equal error rates or equal accuracy, which often cannot all be met at once.
Openness about the fact that an algorithm is used, what data it uses, how it works and how its outputs are applied, so that affected people and independent reviewers can understand and scrutinise it.
The state of acting or communicating without one's identity being known or traceable by others.
Processing a dataset to remove or alter personally identifiable information so that individuals can no longer be identified, directly or indirectly, by any reasonably likely means.
The attribution of human characteristics, emotions or intentions to non-human things, such as animals, objects, robots or software.
Programs that let users carry out specific tasks, such as writing documents, editing photos, browsing the web or playing games; on mobile devices these are usually called apps.
The part of the CPU that performs calculations, such as addition and comparison, and logical decisions.
The first large packet-switched computer network, funded by the US Department of Defense and first operating in 1969, which developed many of the technologies on which the internet is built.
A proposed form of AI that would match or exceed human ability across almost any intellectual task, transferring knowledge between areas and reasoning about new situations. It does not exist today.
The ability of a digital system to perform tasks that normally need human intelligence, such as recognising patterns, understanding language, making decisions or creating content, often by learning from data rather than following only fixed rules.
A machine learning model made of layers of connected nodes, in which each connection has a weight that is adjusted during training so that the network learns to map inputs to the correct outputs.
An algorithm that finds relationships between items, such as products often bought together or videos watched by similar users; the basis of many recommendation systems.
Technology that adds digital objects or information on top of a live view of the real world, usually through a smartphone camera or smart glasses.
The process of checking that a user or device really is who or what it claims to be, using evidence such as a password, a code on a phone or a fingerprint.
The tendency to over-rely on the output of an automated system, accepting its decisions or recommendations even when other information suggests they are wrong.
A self-operating machine that performs a fixed sequence of actions, usually driven by springs, weights, water or cams, often built to imitate a person or animal.
A digital system that can carry out tasks and make decisions in response to its environment without continuous human direction, whether or not it has a physical body that moves.
A vehicle that uses sensors, software and actuators to perceive its surroundings and drive itself, with the human role ranging from close supervision to none depending on its level of automation.
The degree to which a system can sense, decide and act on its own, without real-time human direction, within a given environment and set of tasks.
The maximum rate at which data can be transferred over a network connection, measured in bits per second (for example, megabits per second).
Datasets so large, varied and fast-changing that they cannot be stored, processed or analysed with traditional tools, and need specialised systems to extract useful information.
A searching algorithm for sorted lists that checks the middle item and discards the half that cannot contain the target, repeating until the item is found; each step halves the search.
An algorithm whose inner workings cannot be seen or understood by the people affected by it, either because it is kept secret or because, like a large neural network, it is too complex to explain.
A digital record of transactions stored as a chain of linked blocks and copied across many computers, in which each block contains the hash of the previous one so that past entries cannot be changed without detection.
A website of regularly updated written entries, called posts, usually shown with the newest first and often written by one person or a small group.
A network of computers or other connected devices infected with malware and controlled remotely by an attacker, often used for denial-of-service attacks or spam.
The suppression, removal or blocking of media content by a government, platform or other authority that judges it unacceptable.
The main processor of a computer, which fetches, decodes and executes program instructions and controls the other components.
A computer program that holds a conversation with users in text or speech. Early chatbots such as ELIZA followed scripted rules; modern ones such as ChatGPT are built on large language models.
The gathering, reporting and sharing of news by members of the public rather than professional journalists, usually with smartphones and social media.
An algorithm that places each item into one of several categories, such as spam or not spam, or a normal or suspicious payment.
A device or program that requests data or services from a server across a network, such as a web browser asking a web server for a page.
A network in which central computers (servers) store data and provide services, and other devices (clients) send requests to them and receive responses.
The number of processing cycles a CPU completes each second, measured in gigahertz; 3 GHz means three billion cycles a second.
The delivery of computing resources such as storage, processing and software as a service over a network, from remote data centres, so that users do not need to own or manage the hardware themselves.
Writing instructions for a computer in a programming language, following that language's rules, so that the computer can carry out a task.
A field of robotics that designs robots with human- or animal-like cognitive abilities, such as perception, learning, reasoning and planning, so that they can act intelligently in complex and changing environments.
A robot designed to work safely alongside people in a shared workspace, using sensors and limited force and speed so that it stops or slows when it touches a person.
A text-based interface in which the user types commands for the computer to carry out.
A program that translates the whole of a program's source code into machine code before it is run, producing a file that can be executed without the source code.
A programmable machine that automatically executes sets of instructions to input, process, store and output data.
Malicious code that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file and spreads when that file is run or shared, often damaging data or systems.
A field of AI that enables computers to identify and interpret the content of images and video, such as objects, people, text and movement.
Malicious software that copies itself and spreads across networks on its own, by exploiting security weaknesses, without needing a user to open a file.
A decision point in an algorithm that checks whether a condition is true and chooses which instructions to carry out next, usually written as IF... THEN... ELSE.
Software that blocks access to online content matching set rules, such as keywords, website categories or image analysis, used by schools, employers, parents and governments.
A licensing method that lets anyone use, modify and share a work, on the condition that any modified version is shared under the same free licence.
The exclusive legal right of the creator of an original work to control how it is copied, shared, adapted and performed, for a period set by law.
A non-profit organisation, and the set of free licences it publishes, that let creators state in advance how others may reuse their work, for example with credit, without changes or only non-commercially.
Criminal activity that uses computers or networks, either to attack digital systems directly or to commit traditional crimes such as fraud, theft and extortion.
The study of control and communication in machines and living things, based on feedback loops in which a system senses the effects of its actions and adjusts its behaviour. It was named by Norbert Wiener in 1948.
A part of the deep web that is deliberately hidden and can only be accessed with special software such as Tor, which conceals the identity and location of users and sites.
Raw facts, figures, symbols or observations that have been recorded but not yet organised or interpreted, such as a list of readings from a temperature sensor.
The process of examining data, often with software and algorithms, to find patterns, draw conclusions and support decisions.
A systematic error in data, caused by how it was collected, selected or recorded, that makes it unrepresentative of the reality or population it is meant to describe.
A company that collects personal data from many sources, such as public records, purchases and online tracking, combines it into profiles and sells them to other organisations.
Encoding data using fewer bits than the original, so that it takes less storage and less time and bandwidth to send.
Permanently removing data from a storage device so that it cannot be recovered, by overwriting it, destroying the encryption key that protects it, or physically destroying the device.
The accuracy, completeness and consistency of data throughout its life cycle, protected from unauthorised or accidental change.
The sequence of stages data passes through, from creation or collection through storage, processing, analysis and access, to preservation and reuse.
Hiding sensitive parts of a dataset by replacing real values with altered, scrambled or realistic but fake values, so the data can be used without exposing the original information.
The legal rights and practical control a person or organisation has over data, including the right to decide how it is collected, used, shared and deleted.
The right of individuals to control how information about them is collected, used, stored and shared, and the practices that protect that right.
The extent to which data is accurate, consistent and from a trustworthy source, so that it can be depended on.
The measures used to protect data from unauthorised access, alteration, theft or loss, so that it stays confidential, accurate and available.
The representation of data in a visual form, such as a chart, map or interactive dashboard, so that patterns and relationships can be seen and understood quickly.
An organised, structured collection of data stored electronically, usually managed by software that allows users to search, add, update and delete the data.
Rules about what may be shown or said in media, especially to audiences that may include children, covering sexual content, violence and strong language.
A form of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks with many hidden layers to learn complex patterns directly from large amounts of raw data such as images, audio or text.
The parts of the web that search engines do not index, such as private accounts, databases and pages behind logins.
Synthetic video, audio or images, generated with machine learning, that realistically show a real person saying or doing something they did not say or do.
An attack that overwhelms a server, website or network with traffic or requests so that it cannot serve legitimate users; a distributed attack (DDoS) uses many devices at once.
A pattern of compulsive use of digital media or devices that the user struggles to control and that continues despite harm to their health, relationships or daily life.
Content such as text, images, audio, video, animation and games that is encoded as digital data, so it can be created, stored, edited, copied and distributed with computers and networks.
Technology that restricts how digital content can be copied, shared, played or transferred, used by publishers to enforce copyright and licence terms.
A model that arranges data, information, knowledge and wisdom in four layers, each built from the one beneath it and adding context, meaning and judgement.
False information that is created or shared deliberately to deceive people, for political, financial or personal gain.
A human-readable name, such as unicef.org, registered by an organisation or person and linked to the IP addresses of its servers.
The distributed system of servers that translates domain names into IP addresses so that devices can find each other on the internet.
An aircraft with no pilot on board, controlled remotely by a person, autonomously by onboard software, or by a combination of the two.
Organised competitive video gaming in which professional or amateur players and teams compete in leagues and tournaments, often in front of live and online audiences.
A computer built into a larger device to perform one dedicated function, usually with fixed software, such as the controller in a washing machine, a car's brakes or a pacemaker.
Converting readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable form (ciphertext) using an algorithm and a key, so that only someone with the correct key can convert it back.
Encryption in which data is encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted on the recipient's device, so that no one in between, including the service provider, can read it.
AI systems, or methods applied to them, that make the reasons for an output understandable to humans, so that decisions can be checked, challenged and trusted.
An umbrella term for all technologies that combine or replace the real world with digital content, including augmented, mixed and virtual reality.
The use of AI to detect a human face in an image and identify or verify the person by comparing measurements of their facial features with stored records.
The process of checking whether claims in media are accurate, by tracing them to original sources and comparing them with reliable evidence, often carried out by specialist organisations.
A legal exception in US copyright law that allows limited use of copyrighted work without permission for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching and parody.
A characteristic of an algorithm: it can actually be carried out with the time, computing power, memory and data available.
One column of a database table, holding one attribute that every record has, such as a name or a date of birth.
A situation in which personalisation algorithms show people mainly content that matches their existing interests and views, so they encounter fewer different perspectives.
An algorithm that removes items that do not meet given criteria and keeps those that do, such as hiding emails marked as spam or search results above a price limit.
A characteristic of an algorithm: it always stops after a limited number of steps, with a clear end condition, rather than running forever.
Hardware or software that checks network traffic against a set of security rules and blocks traffic that is not permitted, separating a trusted network from untrusted ones.
Software stored permanently in a device's ROM or flash memory that controls its basic functions, such as starting a computer and loading the operating system.
A diagram that represents an algorithm with standard shapes joined by arrows: ovals for start and end, parallelograms for input and output, rectangles for processes and diamonds for decisions.
A field in one database table that holds the primary key of a record in another table, creating a link (relationship) between the two tables.
The European Union's data protection law, in force since May 2018, which sets rules for handling the personal data of people in the EU and gives them rights such as access and erasure.
The ability of a trained machine learning model to make accurate predictions on new, unseen data, not only on the examples it was trained on.
Stages in the history of computers, each marked by a major change in the underlying technology: vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, microprocessors and artificial intelligence.
AI that produces new content, such as text, images, music, video or code, by learning the patterns in very large amounts of existing content and generating new examples in response to a prompt.
An interface in which users interact with visual elements, such as windows, icons, menus and buttons, using a pointer or touch.
A processor designed to perform many simple calculations at the same time, originally to draw images and video on a screen and now also used to train AI models.
Gaining unauthorised access to a computer system, network or data, or using a system in ways its owner did not intend; ethical hacking does the same with permission in order to improve security.
An interface that communicates with the user through the sense of touch, for example through vibration, force or texture, and may also detect the user's touch and movement.
The physical components of a computer system, such as the processor, memory, storage, circuit boards and input and output devices.
A function that turns any input into a short, fixed-length string (a hash) that acts as a fingerprint of the data: the same input always gives the same hash, while any change to the input gives a completely different one.
A word or phrase preceded by the # symbol that labels a post, so that posts on the same topic are grouped together and can be searched for or followed.
A programming language, such as Python or JavaScript, that uses words and structures close to human language and mathematics and must be translated into machine code to run.
HyperText Transfer Protocol: the protocol that browsers and web servers use to request and send web pages and other resources.
The secure version of HTTP, in which requests and responses between a browser and a web server are encrypted so that they cannot be read or altered in transit.
A simple device that connects devices in a local area network and forwards every incoming message to all other connected devices.
The study and design of how people and robots communicate, cooperate and affect each other, including trust, safety, social behaviour and the effects of robots on human users.
Text displayed on a screen that contains links (hyperlinks) to other text or resources, which the reader can follow directly.
The fraudulent use of another person's personal information, such as their name, identity documents or bank details, to obtain money, goods or services in their name.
Digital media that create a sense of being inside or interacting with a digital environment, through technologies such as augmented, virtual and mixed reality.
An automatically controlled, reprogrammable machine, usually a jointed arm, used in manufacturing for tasks such as welding, painting, assembly and packaging.
A visual presentation that combines charts, images, icons and brief text to communicate information or a message quickly to a broad audience.
Data that has been organised, processed and given context so that it has meaning for a person or a system.
Agreement to the collection and use of one's data, given freely by a person who understands what data will be collected, how it will be used and who it will be shared with.
The data an algorithm starts with, which must be clearly defined, including what happens if the data is missing or invalid.
Hardware that sends data or commands into a computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, microphone or camera.
A single step in an algorithm that tells the computer to do one thing, such as store a value, compare two numbers or display a message.
The extent to which users can act on a medium and change what it shows or does, for example by clicking, choosing, commenting, creating or playing, rather than only receiving it.
The global network of interconnected networks that use the TCP/IP protocols to exchange data between devices.
The very high-capacity fibre-optic links and core routers, owned by major telecommunications companies, that connect the world's large networks and carry most long-distance internet traffic.
A physical location where different networks connect directly to exchange traffic, keeping local traffic local and reducing cost and delay.
The network of everyday physical objects, such as appliances, vehicles, wearables and sensors, that are connected to the internet and collect and exchange data, often without direct human involvement.
An organisation that provides people and organisations with access to the internet, usually for a fee, through fixed or mobile networks.
The ability of different devices, systems and applications, often made by different organisations, to exchange data and use it correctly.
A program that translates and executes source code one statement at a time, every time the program runs.
A numerical label that identifies a device on a network using the Internet Protocol, so that packets can be delivered to it; IPv4 addresses are 32 bits long and IPv6 addresses 128 bits.
Understanding gained from information through experience, study or analysis, which allows a person to explain patterns and make predictions.
Data in which each example is tagged with the correct answer, such as an email marked spam or not spam, used to train supervised learning systems.
A deep learning model with billions of weights, trained on vast amounts of text to predict the next token in a sequence, which allows it to generate fluent text and perform many language tasks.
The time delay between data being sent and being received across a network, usually measured in milliseconds.
A six-level scale from 0 to 5, set out by SAE International, that describes how much of the driving task a vehicle's automated system performs, from no automation to full automation under all conditions.
A sensing method that fires pulses of laser light and measures how long they take to bounce back, building a precise three-dimensional map of nearby objects and their distances.
Content presented in a fixed order and, for broadcasts, at a fixed time chosen by its creator, so every audience member follows the same sequence.
A searching algorithm that checks each item in a list in turn, from the start, until it finds the target or reaches the end; it works on unsorted lists but is slow for large ones.
Broadcasting video and audio over the internet as events happen, so viewers can watch in real time and often interact through live chat.
A network that connects devices within one building or site, such as a home, school or office, usually owned and managed by one organisation.
A component of an algorithm that repeats a block of instructions, either for each item in a collection, a set number of times, or while a condition remains true.
Data compression that allows the original data to be rebuilt exactly, used for text, software and files where every detail matters.
Data compression that permanently discards some data, usually detail people barely notice, to make files much smaller, used for photos, music and video.
Binary instructions that a CPU can execute directly; every program must be translated into machine code before it can run.
The idea, still hypothetical, that a machine could have subjective experience or awareness, rather than only processing information and imitating conscious behaviour.
A type of AI in which an algorithm finds patterns in data and uses them to make predictions or decisions, improving its performance as it is given more examples, without being explicitly programmed for each case.
The use of cameras and image-analysis software to let a machine detect, identify, measure or locate objects so that it can make decisions and act, for example in inspection, sorting or navigation.
A large, powerful and highly reliable computer designed to process very large numbers of transactions and serve thousands of users at the same time, used by banks, airlines and governments.
Software designed to damage or disrupt a computer system, gain unauthorised access to it, or steal data from it without the owner's consent, such as viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware and spyware.
Whether a piece of media is what it claims to be: genuine, unaltered and from the source it names, rather than edited, fabricated or taken out of context.
The concentration of media ownership in fewer, larger companies or groups, through mergers, takeovers and the closure of smaller outlets.
The merging of previously separate media forms, technologies and industries, made possible because all content can be handled as digital data on shared devices, networks and platforms.
The division of audiences across many more media sources, platforms and formats, so that fewer people share the same news and entertainment sources.
The process by which storage media, file formats, software or hardware become outdated and unsupported, so the content they hold can no longer be read or played.
An image, video, phrase or idea that is copied, adapted and shared rapidly between internet users, often changing slightly each time it spreads.
Data that describes other data, such as the date a file was created, its author, its size or the location where a photo was taken.
A proposed network of shared, persistent 3D virtual spaces, often reached through virtual or augmented reality, in which people interact through avatars for work, leisure and commerce.
A network that covers a town or city, connecting LANs across that area, often run by a city authority, university or telecommunications company.
False or misleading information that is shared by people who believe it is true, without the intention to deceive.
Technology that blends real and virtual environments so that digital objects are anchored in physical space and respond to it, and users can interact with both.
A device that converts digital data into signals suited to a particular transmission line (telephone, cable, fibre or mobile) and back again, connecting a home or office to its internet provider.
The observation, made by Gordon Moore in 1965 and revised in 1975, that the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years, while the cost per transistor falls.
An intense, widespread public fear that something, often a new medium or technology, threatens social values or children's safety, out of proportion to the evidence of harm.
The main circuit board of a computer, which holds the processor and memory and connects every other component through circuits and sockets.
The view, proposed by Ken Goldberg, that the future of AI lies in diverse groups of humans and machines working together on problems, rather than in a single superintelligent machine replacing human intelligence.
AI designed and trained for a specific task or domain, such as recognising faces or recommending videos, which cannot transfer its ability to unrelated tasks. It is also called weak AI or domain-specific AI.
Ordinary human language, such as English or Spanish, used to describe an algorithm in a form anyone can read but which can be ambiguous.
A field of AI that enables computers to analyse, understand and generate human language, as in translation, chatbots and sentiment analysis.
The principle that internet service providers must treat all internet traffic equally, without blocking, slowing or charging differently for particular content, applications or websites.
Two or more computers or other devices connected by a transmission medium so that they can share data, resources and services.
The hardware component, now usually built into a device, that connects it to a network through a cable or by radio, and that has a unique hardware (MAC) address.
A single processing unit in a neural network that adds up the weighted signals it receives, applies a simple function to them and passes the result on to the next layer.
Content that users can access in an order or at a time of their own choosing, or whose path they shape through their choices, such as websites, games and on-demand services.
Material judged so harmful, for example terrorist attack footage or child abuse material, that law or platform rules restrict or ban it outright; New Zealand uses the term as a legal classification.
Speech or content that many people find upsetting, insulting or disrespectful; in many democracies it is legal, because freedom of expression protects speech that offends.
Software whose source code is published under a licence that lets anyone read, use, modify and share it; the term is also used for other openly shared work.
System software that manages a computer's hardware and resources, provides common services to applications and provides the user interface, such as Windows, macOS, Linux, Android or iOS.
The result an algorithm produces from its input, such as a route, a ranking, a category or a decision.
Hardware that presents the results of processing to a user or another system, such as a screen, speaker, printer or vibration motor.
A problem in which a machine learning model learns the details and noise of its training data so closely that it performs poorly on new data.
A small unit of data sent across a network, containing part of a message and a header with the source and destination addresses and a sequence number.
A method of sending data in which a message is split into packets that travel independently, possibly by different routes, and are reassembled at the destination.
The automated identification of regularities in data, such as shapes in images, sequences in sound or trends in numbers, so that new data can be classified or predicted.
A network in which devices share data and resources directly with each other, each acting as both client and server, without depending on a central server.
A network that connects devices around one person over a few metres, such as a phone, a smartwatch and wireless earbuds linked by Bluetooth.
A general-purpose computer intended to be used by one person at a time, such as a desktop or laptop.
Any data that can be used to identify a particular individual, either directly, such as a name or ID number, or indirectly when combined with other data, such as date of birth, postcode and gender.
A form of social engineering that uses fake messages or websites imitating trusted organisations to trick people into revealing passwords, financial details or other sensitive information.
A series of audio episodes published online that listeners can stream or download and subscribe to, so they listen when they choose rather than to a broadcast schedule.
Encryption methods designed to stay secure even against attacks by future large quantum computers.
The component that converts electricity from the mains or a battery into the steady, low-voltage direct current that a computer's parts need.
The use of statistical models and algorithms on historical and current data to estimate the likelihood of future outcomes or behaviour.
Data collected first-hand by the person or organisation that will use it, for a specific purpose, for example through a survey, interview or observation.
A field, or combination of fields, whose value is unique for each record in a table, so that every record can be identified unambiguously.
An algorithm that ranks items by importance or urgency so the most important come first, such as search results or emergency calls.
A formal language with exact rules of syntax, such as Python or JavaScript, used to write algorithms as programs that computers can carry out.
An agreed set of rules that defines how data is formatted, transmitted, received and checked when devices communicate.
An intermediary server that forwards requests from users to other servers and returns the responses, so that it can filter, log, speed up or hide traffic.
A structured, step-by-step description of an algorithm that resembles a programming language, using keywords such as IF and FOR EACH, but is written for people to read rather than for a computer to run.
Descriptive, non-numerical data about qualities, opinions or experiences, such as interview answers, written reviews or images.
Data that can be counted or measured and expressed as numbers, such as age, income, temperature or the number of followers an account has.
A type of computing that uses the principles of quantum physics, such as superposition and entanglement, to process information in ways that ordinary computers cannot.
The basic unit of information in a quantum computer; unlike a bit, it can exist in a combination (superposition) of 0 and 1 until it is measured.
The computer's main working memory, which holds the programs and data currently in use; it is fast but volatile, so its contents are lost when the power is switched off.
Malicious software that encrypts a victim's data or locks their systems and demands payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to restore access.
Linking records in a supposedly anonymous dataset back to the real people they describe, usually by matching them with other available data.
Non-volatile memory whose contents are written during manufacture and are not normally changed, used to hold firmware such as the instructions that start the computer.
An algorithm that predicts which items, such as videos, songs, products or posts, a user is likely to engage with, based on their past behaviour and that of similar users, and ranks them for display.
One row of a database table, holding all the data about a single item, such as one student or one transaction.
Machine learning in which an agent learns to make decisions by taking actions in an environment and receiving rewards or penalties, gradually finding the strategy that earns the most reward.
A database that stores data in tables of records and fields and links the tables through shared key values.
The practice of creating new works by combining, editing or adapting existing ones, such as mash-ups, memes, samples and fan videos.
The right of individuals, established in EU law, to ask search engines and organisations to remove links to or delete personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, outdated or excessive.
A programmable machine with a physical body that senses its environment, processes that information and acts on the physical world, carrying out tasks with some degree of independence from direct human control.
The debate over whether robots, especially advanced or humanlike ones, should be given moral consideration or legal rights and status, and what such rights would mean for human responsibility.
A device that connects two or more networks and forwards data between them, choosing a route for each piece of data based on its destination address.
An algorithm that finds an item, or items that match a request, within a collection of data.
Data that was collected by someone else, often for a different purpose, and is reused, such as census tables or published research.
A model of how robots and autonomous systems work, in which sensors gather data about the environment, software processes the data to choose an action, and actuators carry out the action, in a continuous loop.
An input device that measures a physical property, such as temperature, light, movement, pressure or location, and converts it into data a computer can process.
The order in which an algorithm's instructions are carried out, one after another; changing the order usually changes the result.
A computer, or a program running on one, that provides data, resources or services to other computers, called clients, across a network.
A robot that performs useful tasks for people or equipment outside industrial manufacturing, such as cleaning, delivery, surgery, inspection or agriculture.
A complete computer built on one small circuit board, with its processor, memory and connections all on the board, such as the Raspberry Pi.
A mobile phone with an operating system, apps, sensors and internet access that make it a general-purpose, pocket-sized computer.
The programs, instructions and associated data that tell a computer's hardware what to do.
A storage device that keeps data in flash memory chips with no moving parts, making it faster, quieter and tougher than a hard disk drive.
An algorithm that puts items into an order according to a rule, such as alphabetical, numerical, by date or by price.
An algorithm or program written in a programming language, which people can read and edit and which is translated into machine code before a computer runs it.
Unsolicited messages sent in bulk, usually by email, text or social media, often for advertising, scams or spreading malware.
The use of AI to convert spoken words into written text, so that a system can respond to voice commands or transcribe speech.
Malicious software that secretly collects information from a device, such as messages, passwords, location or keystrokes, and sends it to a third party without the user's knowledge.
A published specification agreed by a standards body or industry, such as IEEE 802.11 for Wi-Fi, that manufacturers follow so that their products work together.
Hardware that keeps data and programs permanently, even when the power is off, such as a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive or a memory card.
Audio and video delivered over a network and played while the data arrives, rather than downloaded in full first; users pay for or receive access, not a copy.
A proposed form of AI that would have genuine understanding, and possibly consciousness, rather than only simulating intelligent behaviour. It is often used together with general AI and full AI for a system with human-level ability across all tasks.
Data organised in a predefined format, such as the fields of a table, so that it can be searched and processed easily.
A fibre-optic cable laid on the seabed that carries internet and telephone traffic between countries and continents.
The fastest class of computer, linking thousands of processors to solve one very large problem, such as a weather forecast or a climate model.
Machine learning in which the algorithm is trained on labelled data, where each example has a known correct output, so that it learns to predict the output for new examples.
The systematic monitoring of people's behaviour, communications or movements, usually by governments or organisations, to gather information, influence behaviour or exercise control.
A device that connects devices in a local area network and forwards each message only to the device it is addressed to, using MAC addresses.
Images, video, audio or text that are wholly or partly produced by artificial intelligence rather than recorded or written directly from the real world.
A single chip that combines a computer's main components, such as the CPU, GPU and memory controller, used in smartphones, tablets and single-board computers.
A portable, touchscreen computer, larger than a phone and usually without a physical keyboard, controlled mainly by touch.
The family of protocols on which the internet runs; the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and routes data between networks, and the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) checks that data arrives complete and in order.
A hypothetical future point at which AI surpasses human intelligence and improves itself so rapidly that technological change becomes uncontrollable and unpredictable.
The control of a robot or vehicle by a human operator from a distance, using data sent back from the machine's sensors, so that the operator can act in places that are dangerous, remote or hard to reach.
A fictional set of rules devised by Isaac Asimov in 1942: a robot must not harm a human or allow a human to come to harm, must obey human orders unless this conflicts with the first law, and must protect itself unless this conflicts with the first two.
A way of describing how the number of steps an algorithm needs grows as its input grows, for example in step with the data (linear) or much more slowly (logarithmic).
Free software and a volunteer-run network that hides users' identities and locations by sending their traffic through several encrypted relays; it is the most common way to reach the dark web.
The set of examples a machine learning algorithm learns from. The quality and representativeness of the training data largely decide how accurate and fair the resulting model is.
A tiny semiconductor switch that controls the flow of electricity; transistors are the basic building blocks of every modern processor and memory chip.
The physical path, such as copper cable, fibre-optic cable or radio waves, along which data travels between devices in a network; also called a channel.
Deliberately posting inflammatory, offensive or off-topic content online to provoke, upset or disrupt other users.
A test, proposed by Alan Turing in 1950, of whether a machine can imitate human conversation so well that a human judge, communicating by text alone, cannot reliably tell the machine from a real person.
A form of authentication that requires two different types of evidence, for example a password (something known) and a code from a phone (something owned).
The integration of computing and network connections into everyday objects and environments so that they are available everywhere and used without conscious attention.
A characteristic of an algorithm: every step has only one possible meaning, so anyone or any machine following it would do exactly the same thing.
The hypothesis, proposed by Masahiro Mori in 1970, that robots or images that look almost but not exactly human cause unease or revulsion, so that comfort with a robot falls sharply just before it becomes fully humanlike.
Data without a predefined format, such as free text, emails, images, audio and video.
Machine learning in which the algorithm is given unlabelled data and finds patterns, groups or unusual cases in it without being told the correct answers.
Uniform Resource Locator: the address of a resource on the web, giving the protocol, the server's domain name and the path to the resource.
The means by which a person and a computer communicate, including what the user sees, hears or feels and the controls they use to give commands.
Text, images, video, audio or other material created by the users of a platform, rather than by the platform itself or by professional media producers.
A glass tube from which air has been removed, used in early electronic computers as a switch or amplifier; tubes were large, used a lot of power, gave off heat and often failed.
A named storage place in an algorithm or program for a value that can change while it runs, such as a running total or the highest score so far.
The many types and formats of data in big data, structured and unstructured, drawn from many different sources.
The speed at which big data is generated and must be processed, often in real time.
The degree to which big data is accurate, complete and trustworthy; because it comes from many uncontrolled sources, its veracity is often uncertain.
A software agent, such as Siri or Alexa, that interprets voice or text commands and performs tasks or services for a user, often controlling other connected devices.
A service that creates an encrypted connection between a device and a remote server across the internet, so that traffic is hidden from the local network and the user's IP address is hidden from the sites visited.
Technology that replaces the user's view of the real world with a fully computer-generated environment, usually seen through a headset that tracks head movement.
A video blog: a series of videos, usually on a platform such as YouTube, in which a creator speaks to the camera about their life, opinions or interests.
A podcast published as a series of video episodes, which viewers can stream or download and subscribe to, rather than audio alone.
Technology that carries voice calls as data packets over the internet rather than through the traditional telephone network.
The very large amount of data in big data, measured in terabytes, petabytes or more.
AI that simulates intelligent behaviour without having a mind or genuine understanding. The term is often used as a synonym for narrow AI and says nothing about how well the system performs its task.
Computing devices worn on the body, such as smartwatches, fitness bands, smart rings and smart glasses, that use sensors to collect data about the wearer or their surroundings.
The participatory phase of the web, from the early 2000s, in which users create, share and interact with content on platforms such as blogs, wikis and social networks, rather than only reading published pages.
Software that requests web resources using HTTP or HTTPS and displays them as pages the user can read and interact with.
A service that stores a website's files and applications on servers permanently connected to the internet, so that users can reach the site at any time.
A number attached to a connection between two nodes that controls how much influence one node's output has on the next; training a network means adjusting its weights.
A network that covers a large geographical area such as a country or continent, linking many LANs; the internet is the largest example.
A website that many users can edit together through a web browser, keeping a history of every change; Wikipedia is the best-known example.
A network in which devices are connected by physical cables, such as copper Ethernet cables or fibre-optic cables.
A network in which devices exchange data through the air using radio waves, as in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile phone networks.
The ability to apply knowledge with good judgement, weighing values, consequences and long-term effects, to decide what action is right.
A system of linked documents and applications, identified by URLs and transferred using HTTP, that runs on the internet and is accessed through web browsers.
An international organisation that develops open, royalty-free standards for the web, such as HTML and accessibility guidelines, so that the web works for everyone on any device.
The practice by which a mobile or internet provider lets customers use particular apps or websites without the data counting towards their paid allowance.
Manipulating people through deception, for example by pretending to be someone trusted, so that they disclose confidential information or give access to systems.