What is AI, and how do programmes like ChatGPT and DeepSeek work?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly become part of everyday life over the past decade.

It is used for everything from personalising social media feeds to powering medical breakthroughs.

But as big tech firms and governments vie to be at the forefront of AI’s development, critics have expressed caution over its potential misuse, ethical complexities and environmental impact.

AI allows computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can…