Generative AI

Artificial Intelligence in Focus

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio and synthetic data.

What is the difference between generative AI and general AI?

Traditional AI focuses on analyzing historical data and making future numeric predictions, while generative AI allows computers to produce brand-new outputs that are often indistinguishable from human-generated content.

Recently, there has been a surge in discussions about artificial intelligence (AI), and the spotlight on this technology seems more intense than ever. Despite AI not being a novel concept, as many businesses and institutions have incorporated it in various capacities over the years, the heightened interest can be attributed to a specific AI-powered chatbot called ChatGPT.

ChatGPT stands out by being able to respond to plain-language questions or requests in a manner that closely resembles human-written responses. Its public release allowed people to engage in conversations with a computer, creating a surprising, eerie, and evocative experience that captured widespread attention.

This ability of an AI to engage in natural, human-like conversations represents a notable departure from previous AI capabilities. The Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals badge on the Salesforce Trailhead delves into the various specific tasks that AI models are trained to execute, highlighting the remarkable potential of generative AI, particularly in its ability to create diverse forms of text, images, and sounds, leading to transformative impacts both in and outside the workplace.

Let’s explore the tasks that generative AI models are trained to perform, the underlying technology, and how businesses are specializing within the generative AI ecosystem. It also delves into concerns that businesses may harbor regarding generative Artificial Intelligence.

Exploring the Capabilities of Language Models

While generative AI may appear as a recent phenomenon, researchers have been developing and training generative AI models for decades. Some notable instances made headlines, such as Nvidia unveiling an AI model in 2018 capable of generating photorealistic images of human faces. These instances marked the gradual entry of generative AI into public awareness.

While some researchers focused on AI’s capabilities generating specific types of images, others concentrated on language-related AI. This involved training AI models to perform various tasks related to interpreting text, a field known as natural language processing (NLP). Large language models (LLMs), trained on extensive datasets of real-world text, emerged as a key component of NLP, capturing intricate language rules that humans take years to learn.

Summarization, translation, error correction, question answering, guided image generation, and text-to-speech are among the impressive tasks accomplished by LLMs. They provide a tool that significantly enhances language-related tasks in real-world scenarios.

Predictive Nature of Generative AI

Despite the remarkable predictions generated by generative AI in the form of text, images, and sounds, it’s crucial to clarify that these outputs represent a form of prediction rather than a manifestation of “thinking” by the computer. Generative Artificial Intelligence doesn’t possess opinions, intentions, or desires; it excels at predicting sequences of words based on patterns learned during training.

Understanding this predictive nature is key. The AI’s ability to predict responses aligns with expectations rather than reflecting any inherent understanding or preference. Recognizing the predictive character of generative AI underscores its role as a powerful tool, bridging gaps in language-related tasks for both professional and recreational purposes.