Beginner

Chatbot

Also: chatbots, conversational assistant

In plain words

A program you talk to in ordinary language.

What you see, and what is behind it

The chat windowWhere you type and read.

Behind it: the appDecides which files, searches, memories and tools the model gets, and adds hidden instructions.

Behind that: the modelPredicts the reply from whatever it was handed.

Two apps can use the same model and give you different answers, because they hand it different material. When something goes wrong, ask which layer did it.

The fuller definition

A chatbot is an application that holds a conversation in natural language. Today's assistants are chatbots built around large language models, often with files and tools attached.

Go deeper

How it fits together

You
Type a message
Application
Add history, files, and tools
Model
Generate a reply

A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.

A concrete example

ChatGPT and the Claude app are chat interfaces over models. The conversation format is a product choice, not a property of the model.

The distinction that matters

A chat window hides what the system can actually see and do. Check its files, tools, and settings rather than trusting the conversation.

Related terms

Foundations

Application

The app or website you actually use, like ChatGPT or Claude. It wraps around the model and decides what files, searches, and tools the model gets.

Products & model families

ChatGPT

OpenAI's chat app, built on its GPT models.

Products & model families

Claude

A family of AI models and a chat app from Anthropic. The app's tools depend on the plan and setup.

Where it is taught

What actually happens when you ask AI a question?

Source and further reading

Google · Machine Learning Glossary

The definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.