Unit 14: What is Generative AI?
Generative AI (genAI) consists of large language model systems that can interact with humans using natural language. This type of interaction makes the process of working with artificial intelligence capabilities much more accessible and convenient for humans. While early versions of these tools have been with us for some time in the form of chatbots and rudimentary AI assistants like Siri and Alexa, those emerging since November 2022 eclipse previous tools in terms of their range of use, knowledge bases, and ability to respond to human direction. Moreover, models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Llama 3 are being integrated with communication tools humans use on a daily basis (like Microsoft Office products, Google’s suite of office tools, along with social media tools like Instagram and Facebook), making them ubiquitous. So, despite their current flaws, they are beginning to form the foundation for other AI tools used daily in business and it is essential for us to become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of such tools and how we can integrate them usefully in our daily workflows.
Before discussing genAI, we should consider it in the context of the long history of AI.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the theory and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as interpreting language, recognizing patterns from large amounts of data, and making decisions. Some of the names given to AI, based on the way in which it is designed and what it can do, include neural networks, natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, machine learning, and deep learning.
Take a look at the timeline in Figure 14.1 to explore a selection of the key advances in AI.
While we tend to think of artificial intelligence as a product of the 21st century, it has been in practical use since the middle of the 20th century. We interact with AI every day. Examples of AI include:
- Asking your smartphone to unlock your phone by recognizing your face.
- Navigating to your destination using apps like Google Map or Waze to find the quickest route.
- Getting more posts in your social media feeds that match those with which you previously interacted (that you liked or commented on).
- Receiving a notification from your bank that there has been unusual activity in your account.
- Obtaining a recommendation from an online store (or music or video streaming platform) based on your previous purchases.
- Interacting with a customer service chatbot.
- Feeding your text through a grammar software that suggests better ways to write your text.
- Using Google Translate to translate text from one language into another.
- Using a voice-to-text app on a smartphone.
- Using a personal assistant like Siri, Alex, or Cortana.
What is Generative AI (GenAI)?
While we interact with AI everyday, usually it hides in the background of the technologies we use