What is AI? The basics (2)

"AI" and "ChatGPT" are often used interchangeably. But ChatGPT is actually a specific form of AI: generative AI (and from just one tech company at that).

What is the difference?

Ordinary AI recognises things, for example: "This email contains spelling mistakes."

Generative AI (such as ChatGPT) makes things, for example: "Rewrite this email without spelling mistakes" … and it immediately writes a new email.

So ChatGPT writes texts, but also makes images, comes up with recipes, helps with homework, can talk. It keeps creating something new.

But beware: it does not understand what it says. It only calculates what the most logical next words are, based on billions of examples.

For a child something like ChatGPT can be almost magical: it thinks along with hobbies, makes those dreadful geography assignments and gives endless advice.

It is important to explain to your child(ren): however real it feels, ChatGPT is not a person. It does not think with you, it does not feel with you.