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What is Generative AI?


Microsoft. (2024). Designer image creator. https://designer.microsoft.com/image-creator.

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content based on user input. AI generates this content by using large language models (LLMs), which are trained on large amounts of data.

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Where has Generative AI come from?

  • While artificial intelligence models, like ChatGPT, have grown in popularity, the idea of artificial intelligence has a long history.
  • Automating human thinking can be found in the records of many ancient civilisations, including ancient Phoenicia, China, Egypt and Greece.
  • In the mid-21st century, the potential of artificial intelligence grew rapidly.
  • Alan Turing (1912-1954) is often credited with applying algorithmic logic to form the foundations of the computers we use today.
  • As well as software engineering, artificial intelligence developments rely on the research of many other disciplines, including philosophy, computational science, economics and psychology. 

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