Their question are OK but their knowledge about the software environment is not so clear. A part of thw answer is shown in the video: David J. Malan, Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University, has been challenged to explain the science of algorithms to 5 different people; a child, a teen, a college student, a grad student, and an expert.
We are surrounded by algorithms: from the physical world to the virtual world those algorithms are seemingly everywhere. Even we as human are following them without knowing them or all the details: going to the toilet, washing our teeths, eating food and whatever else we are doing each morning are a part of an algorithm. A personal algorithm because each of us are doing slightly different things and we are doing them in a different way.
The computers are following algorithms in their own way and some of them have started developing and changing their own algorithms - that's what machine learning is. One day they will replace us (I am a software developer writing and debugging algorithms for programming the computers) but they are far away from that. About a decade or 2 decades far from that moment. That day we will face the moment but for now if I can help you understand what an algotithm is than we both are having better day. Just don't listen Elon Musk, he is speaking many stupid things.
