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How do I work with generative AI (GenAI)?

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artificial intelligence looking at data

GenAI is a form of artificial intelligence that generates new content by taking data from massive datasets and reorganizing it.
Using algorithmic techniques known as neural networks, GenAI scans data, recognizes patterns, and generates different versions of that data.
Where does all this data come from? It comes from vast amounts of human-generated data, and these data are analyzed with algorithms known as Large Language Models, or LLMs. GenAI then imitates the patterns it saw in the data, and that is what makes it appear human and produce human-like content that can be very simplistic or surprisingly sophisticated.
What kind of data is fed to GenAI? Everything that can be scraped from the internet: copyrighted materials, public domain materials, personal information, emails, blogs, open journals, and more. Note: GenAI cannot access information behind paywalls unless it is first obtained illegally.
Things to keep in mind about GenAI:
- It mixes up huge amounts of data into different configurations.
- It can't tell whether the output it serves up is accurate, relevant, or appropriate.
- It can be biased.
- It can hallucinate.