Lessons of the effective field theory of quantum gravity

General Relativity is naturally treated as a quantum field theory using the techniques of effective field theory. In this colloquium, I will review the simple ideas behind this treatment and provide examples. This will lead to a discussion of the lessons learned and the limits of the theory. Overall I will make the case that quantum General Relativity appears in our present core theory in much the same way as the other gauge interactions of the Standard Model.