Algorithm

It's a set of steps written out in order to solve a problem. A cooking recipe is really just the algorithm for making a dish. It's a broad term used across all of computer science, not something specific to AI.

In the news, it shows up wearing two different faces. In a tech article, "developed a new algorithm" means researchers found a better method for solving something. But when you see "the algorithm recommended this video," it's pointing to something more specific: the recommendation systems behind YouTube or TikTok — the automated decision-making that determines what gets shown to you.