What is AI, how does it work and why are some people concerned about it?

What is AI, how does it work and why are some people concerned about it?

Updated 14 September 2026

AI has increasingly become part of everyday life over the past decade.

The technology takes many forms - from personalising social media feeds to spotting friends in smartphone photos - and accelerating medical breakthroughs.

But the rise of chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT has prompted concern about the tech's environmental impact, ethical implications and data use.

Recent claims that AI could become too powerful and threaten humanity have also triggered calls for slower development and tighter regulation.

What is AI and what is it used for?

AI allows computers to process large amounts of data, identify patterns and follow detailed instructions about what to do with that information.

Computers cannot think, empathise or reason.

However, scientists have developed systems that can perform tasks which usually require human intelligence, trying to replicate how people acquire and use knowledge.

This could be trying to anticipate what product an online shopper might buy, based on previous purchases, in order to recommend items.

The technology is also behind voice-controlled virtual assistants like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, and is being used to develop systems for self-driving cars.

AI also helps social platforms like Facebook, TikTok and X decide what posts to show users. Streaming services Spotify and Deezer use AI to suggest music.

There are also a number of applications in medicine, as scientists use AI to help spot cancers, review X-ray results, speed up diagnoses and identify new treatments.

• A simple guide to help you understand AI

• Five things you really need to know about AI

Generative AI is used to create new content which can seem like it has been made by a human.

It does this by learning from vast quantities of existing data such as online text and images.

Google's Gemini or Meta AI can similarly hold text conversations with users.