Generative AI
Definition
Generative AI is a class of probabilistic AI that creates new content, text, images, code, audio, based on patterns learned from training data. ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney are generative AI systems.
Why it matters
The business case for Generative AI.
Generative AI is genuinely transformative for creative, drafting, and synthesis tasks. It is dangerous when applied to high-stakes operational decisions without deterministic guardrails.
Related terms in Deterministic AI
Deterministic AI
Deterministic AI produces the same output for the same input, every time. Unlike probabilistic AI, deterministic systems deliver consistent, predictable, auditable outcomes that enterprise operations can rely on.
Probabilistic AI
Probabilistic AI generates outputs based on statistical likelihoods. The same input may produce different outputs across runs. Most large language models are probabilistic by design.
AI Hallucination
AI Hallucination occurs when a generative AI system produces output that is plausible-sounding but factually incorrect or fabricated. Hallucinations are a structural feature of probabilistic AI, not a bug.
Explainable AI (XAI)
Explainable AI refers to AI systems whose decisions and outputs can be understood and traced by humans. XAI is critical for governance, compliance, and trust.
Auditable AI
Auditable AI produces a complete, verifiable record of every decision made and every input that influenced it. Auditable AI is a structural property of the architecture, not a feature added on later.