What Is Generative AI?
Having a basic understanding of how GenAI works and being able to recognize its various guises will help you make wise choices about using it responsibly. You are accountable for the accuracy and transparency of any GenAI output you choose to carry into your work.
The Basics
Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to create new content—such as text, code, images, and music—in response to prompts from users.
Its machine learning models have been trained on huge datasets to identify patterns in style, structure, and content. In other words, this training allows GenAI, when prompted, to produce new outputs that resemble human creations, as well as to analyze, interpret, and manipulate existing content.
Within the realm of GenAI, large language models (LLMs) are computer programs that have been trained on massive amounts of text data, such as books, articles, website content, etc., primarily from the United States and Europe.
LLMs parse human writing and generate humanlike text based on the patterns of syntax and diction learned during their training. They operate by selecting the next statistically probable unit of language without knowing the truth of the content generated.
Current LLM Capabilities
The following are some of the main capabilities of current LLMs:
- Generating text and code
- Summarizing text
- Translating text from one language to another
- Engaging in conversation (chat)
- Sentiment analysis
- Revising or expanding text
Many LLM interfaces take the form of a chat interface through which the user interacts with the model. However, LLM tools are also becoming increasingly embedded within word processors, email programs, browsers, and other software. These forms of GenAI may offer autocomplete suggestions or otherwise proactively—and potentially intrusively—intervene in the user's workflow.
Generative AI Overview Links
