AI Systems Thinking – Algorithms, Data, Compute, and Knowledge
Lesson 1: Algorithms Are Procedures With Consequences
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Define algorithm in plain language.
- Write a simple rule-based procedure.
- Identify where procedure design can create mistakes.
Lesson Content
An algorithm is a procedure. It takes input, follows steps, and produces an output or action. Some algorithms are simple rules. Others are learned from many examples. Either way, the procedure shapes what happens.
Students do not need advanced math to understand the practical point: if the procedure asks the wrong question, uses the wrong input, or optimizes the wrong outcome, the result can be poor even when the system is technically working.
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