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  1. Dartmouth Libraries
  2. Research Guides
  3. Dartmouth Libraries Guides
  4. Generative AI & Research
  5. What is Generative AI?

Generative AI & Research

  • Home
  • What is Generative AI?
  • Examples of Gen AI Tools
  • Uses in Research
  • Citing Generative AI
  • Example - Evaluate a Tool (ChatGPT)
  • Example - Content Evaluation (ChatGPT)
  • Use in Academic Publishing
  • Faculty Resources

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI, short for Generative Artificial Intelligence, is a powerful branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, whether it's text, images, audio, or more, often with a human-like touch of creativity. Unlike traditional AI, which typically performs predefined tasks, generative AI models have the ability to produce original and meaningful output without specific programming for every potential result.

 

Important Terms Related to Gen AI

Here are some definitions to help you understand the landscape of artificial intelligence:

Artificial Intelligence
Technology that enables machines to mimic human cognitive functions, such as learning, problem-solving, understanding natural language, and recognizing patterns. AI systems can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, ranging from simple tasks like speech recognition to complex tasks like autonomous driving.

Generative Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence technology capable of generating new content, such as text, images, audio, or video, based on patterns learned from existing data. These systems utilize advanced algorithms, such as neural networks and deep learning techniques, to create new content that resembles human-generated content, enabling applications such as text generation, image synthesis, and creative content creation.

Large Language Model (LLM)
A sophisticated computer program designed to understand and generate human language. These models are trained using extensive amounts of text data and utilize complex algorithms to analyze and generate human-like text, enabling them to perform tasks such as language translation, text summarization, and question answering.

Machine Learning
A subset of artificial intelligence focused on developing algorithms that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. Instead of being explicitly programmed to perform specific tasks, machine learning models are trained using vast amounts of data to recognize patterns and make informed decisions without human intervention.

Hallucination
A phenomenon where the AI-generated content, such as images or text, contains unrealistic or improbable elements that do not align with reality. It occurs when the AI model produces outputs that diverge significantly from the training data it was provided, resulting in generated content that may appear distorted or surreal. Sometimes the content may even appear authoritative when it is imaginary, as when AI programs make up citations to back up their responses.

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  • Last Updated: Oct 7, 2024 1:28 PM
  • URL: https://researchguides.dartmouth.edu/GenAI
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