What are the main types of AI: Narrow, General, and Super AI? Briefly explain each.
What are the main types of AI: Narrow, General, and Super AI?
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17-Apr-2025
Updated on 21-Apr-2025
Khushi Singh
21-Apr-2025Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be broadly categorized into three main types based on its capabilities: Narrow AI, General AI, and Super AI. The defined categories enable us to determine how much an AI system distinguishes itself from human cognitive ability.
Narrow AI (Weak AI) refers to AI systems that are designed and trained to perform a specific task. These artificial intelligence systems have defined operational parameters that restrict them to perform only the tasks they have been programmed to execute. Although they demonstrate capabilities of seeming intelligent, they possess a specialized form of knowledge. Voice assistants Siri and Alexa together with models presented by Amazon and Netflix and software that identifies faces represent some applications of this technology. Currently installed AI solutions primarily fit into this classification category.
General AI (Strong AI) is a more advanced form of AI that doesn't just mimic human behavior in isolated tasks but can understand, learn, and apply knowledge across a wide range of activities, much like a human. This system would gain the ability to analyze problems while solving them, alongside judgment capabilities under uncertain situations, along with planning abilities and natural language communication and learning processes. The development of General AI remains largely theoretical because practical achievement remains out of reach. To create such a system scientists must first progress their knowledge about how people perceive things and think.
Super AI refers to a hypothetical AI that surpasses human intelligence in every possible field—including creativity, decision-making, and emotional intelligence. At this AI level the technology would exceed human capabilities while automatically developing new functions without human supervision. Super AI remains a concept explored in science fiction and philosophical debates, and while it's a long way off from realization, it raises important ethical and existential questions.
Today we operate with Narrow AI systems but we intent to develop General AI and Super AI stands as the maximum possible AI advancement that could reshape human world significance.