Artificial Intelligence / Unit 1 AI 0002 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Computational Agent
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The idea
A computational agent is one whose decisions can be broken into small mechanical steps that a physical device could carry out.
In practice
A thermostat senses temperature, compares it with a set point, and switches the heat — three steps, fully mechanical, fully an agent.
Where people slip
"Mechanical steps" sets no ceiling on sophistication — chess engines and language models pass the same test.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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