Generative AI
Also: GenAI
AI that makes content, such as text, images, or sound. What it makes may be wrong or may resemble existing work.
“The judge entered the ___”
It picks a word, adds it to the sentence, and guesses again, thousands of times a second. Everything it writes, from a poem to a legal memo, is built this way. That is why it can be fluent and wrong at the same time: it is predicting what sounds right, not checking what is true.
The fuller definition
Generative AI produces new content, such as text, images, audio, or code, based on patterns learned during training and the input supplied at use time.
Go deeper
- Input
Meeting notes
- Generation
Compose a response
- Output
Draft for review
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
An assistant drafts a fictional meeting summary from the notes you provide.
The distinction that matters
Newly generated text is not necessarily a quotation, a verified fact, or an original idea.
Related terms
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Software that can do tasks such as finding patterns, working with language, or making plans. Those skills do not prove it thinks like a person.
FoundationsLarge language model (LLM)
A program trained on enormous amounts of text so it can read and write language. ChatGPT and Claude are built on large language models.
Reliability & securityHallucination
When the model states something that sounds right but is made up, including cases, quotes, and facts that do not exist.
Where it is taught
What actually happens when you ask AI a question?Source and further reading
Google · Machine Learning GlossaryThe 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.