N is for Neural Networks – ABCs of AI (Elementary)

What if computers could think and learn just like us? Unravel the captivating world of neural networks with us in the latest AI for Kids episode. Promise your curiosity will be piqued as we transform the complex into the comprehensible, drawing parallels between the intricate webs of neurons in our brains and those powering machines. From voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to self-driving cars and clever photo filters, explore how neural networks are weaving magic into everyday technology. With layers of "neurons" collaborating to decipher shapes, colors, and patterns, these systems are revolutionizing the way artificial intelligence understands and interacts with the world.

Join us for an interactive adventure with “Build a Brain,” where you become part of a neural network! This engaging game, perfect for friends and family, illustrates how computers mimic human learning by tackling big tasks piece by piece. We'll also share fun facts about how neural networks improve by learning from their mistakes, much like we do. Discover how AI uses these networks to enhance your entertainment experience, from recommending your next favorite movie to crafting new art forms. Get ready for a knowledge-packed journey that blends learning with play, revealing just how relatable and fascinating AI can be.

Resources:

• ABCs of AI Song
• Neural Network video for babies
• What is a Neural Network? video
• How AI Works: Neural Networks
• Neural Network Game
• Google Teachable Machine

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:29

Welcome to the AI for Kids podcast, where playtime, learning and creating collide bit by bit. Ever wonder how your phone recognizes your face? How does a game learn to get harder as you get better? This is AI. This podcast is designed for kids like you and your human parents, making the complex world of AI easy to understand and, most importantly, fun. So are you ready to unlock the mysteries of artificial intelligence? Subscribe and join us on AI for Kids. Hey there, young explorers, welcome back to season two and happy new year. We're so excited to be back, so excited to go in and kick off the season. Appreciate you all for coming back and listening.

Speaker 1: 1:10

Today we're diving into something super cool and brainy the letter N. It's for neural network. Ever wonder how computers can learn and think a little like us? Get ready, because we're about to uncover the beauty behind it all. Let's go.

Speaker 1: 1:26

So what is a neural network? Hmm, imagine your brain is a big web full of connections that help you learn and solve problems. A neural network is a computer's way of trying to do the same thing. It's like a team of helpers working together to figure things out one step at a time. So I want you to think about a question I have. What's something your brain helped you do today? Maybe solving a puzzle, remembering your favorite snack or learning a new game? Talk to someone nearby and let them know how you used your brain today.

Speaker 1: 2:03

How do neural networks work? Neural networks have layers of many computers called neurons, just like our brains have. Each layer has a job, like spotting shapes, colors or even patterns. For example, you could show a neural network a picture of a cat, and one layer notices the ears, another spots the whiskers and by the end it knows yep, that's a cat. Where can you find neural networks around your home or other places? Well, when Siri or Alexa know what you're asking. Did you know that's a neural network in action? And did you know neural networks help cars see stop signs and avoid bumps in the roads? For those that drive themselves? Ever use a filter to turn your selfie into a funny cartoon? That's a neural network doing it thing.

Speaker 1: 2:55

There are also other fun facts about neural networks I want to share with you all. Neural networks are built to act like tiny versions of our brains, but they can work so much faster, just like you. Neural networks get better by trying and learning from what didn't work. And did you know, neural networks split up big tasks into smaller ones so they can handle them piece by piece. Don't you do the same thing? It's very interesting how many things humans have in common with neural networks.

Speaker 1: 3:26

So how do AI and neural networks team up together? Neural networks help AI recognize faces, animals and even emotions. Yes, it can tell if you're sad or happy, or what type of animal it is. Ai also uses neural networks to guess what movie you'll love or what song you'll play next, whether that's watching Netflix or on Spotify, all of those devices use neural networks to help get smarter about who you are and your choices. With neural networks, ai can also create art, write poems or even design video game levels. I know that's awesome, right?

Speaker 1: 4:05

So it is time to play a game. Let's play a neural network game. The game is called Build a Brain. I need you all to listen, because this one is a little bit more complex than our normal games, but I'm going to try to make it as easy as possible. The tools you need just a group of friends or family and a small object like an apple, or even a picture of one is fine.

Speaker 1: 4:28

So how do you play? First, you're going to pretend to be neurons. Everyone in the group is going to line up and they are all a neuron in a neural network. The first person in the line is the input neuron and the last person in the line is the output neuron. And the last person in the line is the output neuron. Only the neurons in the middle and the input neuron get to see the object. The output neuron doesn't know what it is yet. So imagine everyone in line, from number one to right, before the last person. They will get to see the object. The last person does not. They are the guesser in this game.

Speaker 1: 5:03

Okay, so the input neuron, or the first person in line is going the guesser in this game. Okay, so the input neuron or the first person in line is going to look at the apple or whatever it is that you're giving them and give the first clue, for example, like it's ramp. Then they're going to pass that object down the line without letting the last person see it, and each person in the line adds another clue, like it's red or you can eat it. When the clues reach the last output neuron, they have to use all the hints to guess and hopefully they say it's an apple. And it's also okay if they get it wrong. We can figure out that, why y'all are doing it and you all can learn why they got it wrong, because also neural networks get things wrong too, so that's normal.

Speaker 1: 5:43

Now I want to talk about how each neuron or each person add a little bit of information to help the output neuron figure it out, or the last person figure it out, just like how computers learn using neural networks. So, as always with any technology or most things, there's going to be challenges, right For neural networks. Neural networks need tons of examples to learn. Without enough data, they might get things wrong. Also, they don't really think like humans. They just find patterns and make guesses based on what they've learned. Some would argue that is what humans do, but right now there is a debate for if these neural networks actually thinking like humans.

Speaker 1: 6:23

So how do you explore neural networks at home? You can check out Google's Teachable Machine to train your own mini neural network. We'll drop all these resources in the show notes, so make sure you work with your parents to look at those. You can use apps or websites that let you explore how neural networks work with pictures and patterns and, if you're curious, ask your family or teachers to help you learn more about the tech behind neural networks. They may not know, but y'all can learn together, right? You can go to libraries, you can go field trips. You can go to a local university that's doing this work and learn, ask questions. Don't stop asking questions. That's one of the things I value about you all as kids is having that curiosity and your creativity.

Speaker 1: 7:04

So what's next? I want you to imagine you could create your own neural network, because someday you may. What would you teach it? To help with homework, create amazing art or play games with you, or something totally different? Share your idea with somebody nearby and brainstorm how it could help make life even more fun or better for others. We hope you had fun learning about neural networks. Get ready to keep exploring as we continue our journey through the ABCs of AI. I also want you to check out our YouTube, especially for you, young learners. We have a new song called the ABCs of AI that you can actually sing and dance to. So check it out on our YouTube with your parents at A-I-D-I-G-I-T-A-L-E-S. That's A-I-D-I-G-I-T-A-L-E-S, that's A-I-D-G-T-A-L-E-S, and it's also in the show notes. But see you all next time. Stay curious. Bye-bye. Thank you for joining us as we explore the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Don't keep this adventure to yourself. Download it, share it with your friends and let