🧠 Narrow AI
Narrow AI (also known as Weak AI) refers to artificial intelligence systems that are designed and trained to perform a single, specific task.
Unlike general AI, narrow AI doesn't possess consciousness, self-awareness, or true understanding — it excels only at the narrow domain it was trained on.
In simpler terms:
Narrow AI is like a highly skilled expert who can do one job very well, but nothing else.
🔍 Examples
- Email spam filters
- Recommendation systems on Netflix or YouTube
- Chatbots that answer customer support questions
- Facial recognition systems
- AI models that play chess or Go
🧩 Characteristics
- Task-specific: Built for a single purpose
- Data-dependent: Requires large amounts of domain-specific data
- Non-adaptive: Cannot transfer knowledge to unrelated tasks
- Common in real life: Almost all AI applications today are Narrow AI
🆚 Narrow AI vs. General AI
| Feature | Narrow AI | General AI |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Single task | Multiple tasks |
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Current examples | Yes (everywhere) | No (theoretical) |
| Human-like thinking | ❌ | ✅ (goal of AGI) |
📌 Summary
Narrow AI is the most common form of AI in use today. It's powerful, efficient, and everywhere — from your phone to your search engine. But it's limited to what it's designed for, and cannot truly think or reason beyond its training.