Below are terms and definitions for concepts and processes often associated with Generative Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) a subfield of computer science, is the simulation of human intelligence processes or tasks by machines or computer systems.

Algorithm is a sequence of rules given to an AI machine to perform a task or solve a problem.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI or GAI) is a type of artificial intelligence used to create content, including text, images, video, audio and code. A generative AI system is trained using large amounts of data so that it can find patterns for generating new content based on a prompt or question. 

Hallucination refers to false, inaccurate or imaginary output or responses generated by the AI tool or LLM.

Large Language Models (LLMs)​ are AI systems or models trained on large quantities of text in order to interpret prompts and generate human-like text-based outputs. GAI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are some well-known examples.

Machine Learning​ is the process by which AI systems learn from data and improve their performance over time.​  Instead of programming a machine with rules or algorithms, the machine learns from patterns and data that help it predict trends and behaviors without human assistance.

Training Data is the data used to train the model, in other words, to enable it to find patterns and create new content. It is sometimes referred to as the "corpus" or information universe that a GAI tool or model relies on to generate new output or content in response to your prompt. 

More about training data

Training data for various tools may come from text and other kinds of data across the open internet, from licensed or closed sets of information, or from information created by the entity, corporation, etc. that developed the tool. 

Garbage in, garbage out

Biased, false or inaccurate text and other data can generate false claims as well as perpetuate those harmful biases. However, AI tools are not always fully transparent about what is included within their training data. Some information can be found under "About" pages or FAQs. 

In simpler terms, GAI...

• "...is a word completion tool... predicting what the next word in a sentence should be so it can write a paragraph for you, what an image should look like based on a prompt."   --Ethan Mollick

  • Ghassemi, M., Birhane, A., Bilal, M., Kankaria, S., Malone, C., Mollick, E., & Tustumi, F. (2023). ChatGPT one year on: Who is using it, how and why? Nature, 624(7990), 39–41. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03798-6

• predicts text, rather than producing verified content.  It may hallucinate, or make things up.

• Is not an encyclopedia of knowledge nor a search engine that looks for information or sources. 

• Is not a discrete work by an author - your prompt can generate different information each time

• Is not unbiased or neutral.

GAI can, however: 

• Assist with writing tasks, including brainstorming, composing an outline, grammar checks, generate research questions 

• Provide generic writing or knowledge that may lack specific details or accuracy

• Write code, analyze data