The technology is evolving so quickly that you're forgiven if you don't remember the finer details of artificial intelligence. But like it or not, AI's role in our everyday lives is only going to grow, and a basic working understand will serve you well.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence, or AI, analyzes and interprets data in order to simulate human intelligence — meaning the way we gather information and learn from experience, solve problems, make decisions, and adapt to changing circumstances. But unlike humans, traditional AI can't come up with new ideas on its own, and can only make suggestions based on its analysis of existing data.
Is that the same as generative AI?
Not exactly. Generative AI is designed specifically to generate new content — something that traditional AI isn't programmed to do. Though both systems analyze and interpret data, generative AI identifies patterns in large datasets and then creates new variations based on the information it gleans from the existing dataset. For example, generative AI might train on photos of pickup trucks, and then generate a recognizable image of a pickup truck that does not match an of the photos in the original dataset.
What are they good for?
Traditional AI excels at performing specific tasks with clear and consistent rules, like monitoring your credit card transactions to detect fraudulent activity or segregating spam emails from your regular inbox. It excels at automating unavoidable and time-consuming chores.
Generative AI outputs new material based on input or parameters from users — for example, a user might request a haiku about a tree and receive a complete haiku based only on that suggestion. More specific instructions yield more defined outputs.
Does generative AI really "create" new material?
That's a subject of fierce debate, but Uncle Sam doesn't seem to think so. AI-generated content, including text, images, or music, is not eligible for copyright protection. If you want something you can own and legally protect, you'll have to create it the old-fashioned way — with your human brain.