What's the Difference Between a Neural Network and Artificial Intelligence?

Today, the terms "neural network" and "artificial intelligence" (AI) are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Let's break down their differences in simple terms so everything is clear.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field of science and technology that develops systems capable of performing tasks that require human intelligence. This can be text analysis, content generation, or complex calculations.

Examples of AI:

• ChatGPT: a powerful language model that can conduct dialogues, generate texts, and assist with code.
• Claude: a competitor to ChatGPT, created for understanding complex tasks and their analysis.
• Gemini: Google's new technology that integrates AI with search tools and analytics.
• MidJourney: image generation based on text prompts.

AI is a broad concept encompassing many technologies, such as machine learning, expert systems, and, of course, neural networks.

What is a Neural Network?

A neural network is one of the technologies used in artificial intelligence. It mimics the work of the human brain by analyzing data and finding patterns within it.

Examples of tasks solved by neural networks:

• Facial recognition in photos.
• Text processing, such as automatic translation.
• Creation of images, videos, or music.

Neural networks are a tool within a larger set of AI technologies.

Main Differences Between a Neural Network and AI

Here are the main differences between these concepts:

Characteristic	Artificial Intelligence	Neural Network
Definition	A broad field of science encompassing many methods.	A specific technology that mimics the brain's function.
Examples	ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, MidJourney.	Image recognition, content creation.
Complexity	A broad concept encompassing many approaches.	One of the methods for implementing AI.
Principles of Operation	Using algorithms to solve problems.	Learning from data using neurons and layers.

How are they related?

Simply put, a neural network is a part of AI. If AI is a large suitcase with tools, then a neural network is one of them. It is used when the task requires data analysis and learning from examples.

Real-life Example

Imagine you have a car with autopilot:

• Artificial Intelligence controls the car, analyzing the surroundings and making decisions about turns and stops.
• A neural network helps the autopilot, for example, by recognizing traffic signs or pedestrians.

AI uses neural networks as a tool to perform more complex tasks.

Conclusion

So, artificial intelligence is a broad field, and a neural network is one of the tools within it. Neural networks make AI powerful and allow solving complex problems that were previously considered impossible. Want to learn more about neural networks and their capabilities? Read our articles and expand your knowledge!