Chances are, most of you have worked with ChatGPT or at least heard of it. ChatGPT is a type of generative AI.
Generative AI starts with a request. This request may be in the form of text, image, video, design, musical notes, or any input that the artificial intelligence system is capable of processing. Then it’s time to get the answer from generative AI. This response is also in the form of any type of requested content.
High speed in response to user requests distinguishes this artificial intelligence. This ability of artificial intelligence has opened up new opportunities for humans and on the other hand, it has also raised concerns about fake digital images or videos.
In the continuation of this article, we have done a complete review of generative AI, its history, advantages, limitations, and everything that leads to a better understanding of it.
Table of Contents
What is Generative AI and how does it work?
Generative AI refers to a field of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating or generating new content. It involves the use of machine learning algorithms to generate data that is similar to or similar to a certain type of input data.
Generative artificial intelligence models learn from a data set with the help of a special type of algorithm called neural networks and then produce new outputs based on that learning. Various types of data including text, images, music, and even video can be taught to this artificial intelligence. Finally, generative AI is expected to produce outputs that are similar to training data but also display creativity.
One of the common techniques in generative AI is generative adversarial networks (GANs). GANs consist of two neural networks: a generator network and a discriminator network.
The generative network generates new data. The recognition network tries to compare the generated data and the real data and give feedback. These two networks are trained together, and as the training progresses, both the generative and diagnostic networks improve their skills.
A history of generative artificial intelligence
One of the first examples of artificial intelligence is the chatbot generator Eliza, which was created in the 1960s. This example relied on a set of predefined rules and patterns to recognize user input and generate responses. However, Eliza was unable to truly understand the meaning of user input.
After some time and in 2010, neural networks and deep learning made great progress. The technology was able to learn to automatically parse existing text, classify image elements, and transcribe audio.
Then Ian Goodfellow introduced GANs in 2014. This deep learning technique was a new approach to organizing neural networks. At this time, generative AI was able to produce realistic images, sounds, music, and text.
Since then, advances in other neural network techniques and architectures have helped expand the capabilities of generative AI. Here are two new developments that have played an important role in the mainstream of generative artificial intelligence:
1. Transformers
Transformers are a type of deep learning architecture that has revolutionized NLP tasks. Using transformers, larger models can be trained without having to label all the data beforehand. Thus, they train new models on billions of pages of text, resulting in deeper answers.
Transformers have been widely used in various NLP applications including machine translation, sentiment analysis, and question answering. They excel at learning relationships between words, phrases, and sentences, which makes them very effective for tasks that require understanding and producing natural language.
2. Large Language Models (LLM)
These models are trained on large sets of textual data, such as books, articles, and websites, to learn the patterns and structures of human language. They can produce coherent and related text with the input text. Dall-E, which converts text to images, chatbots, and voice assistants are useful applications of LLM.
In short, transformers enable models to capture relationships between words. While large language models use this architecture to generate high-quality text based on fast input.
Comparison of Generative AI and AI
- Generative AI generates new content, chat responses, designs, artificial data, or deepfakes. However, AI is focused on pattern recognition, decision-making, improved analytics, data classification, and fraud detection.
- Generative AI often uses neural network techniques such as transformers and GANs. But other types of artificial intelligence use different techniques such as convolutional neural networks, recurrent neural networks, and reinforcement learning.
- Generative AI starts with a request from the user. While traditional AI algorithms process new data to produce a simple result.
Common applications of generative artificial intelligence
- Implementation of chatbots for customer service and technical support.
- Improving the dubbing of movies and the translation of educational content into different languages.
- Writing email responses, resumes, and articles,
- Improving product display videos,
- Suggesting new medicinal compounds for testing.
- design of physical products and buildings,
- Optimizing new chip designs,
- writing music in a particular style or tone,
- more accurate and economical identification of defective parts and their root causes,
- more effective identification of useful drugs in the medical industry,
- Designing and adapting faster prototypes in architecture,
Keep in mind that this list is only a small part of the applications of this new artificial intelligence.
What are the limitations of Generative AI?
Despite the advances in generative AI, there are still some limitations. Here are some of the key limitations of generative AI:
- In generative AI, the quality of the generated content directly depends on the quality of the training data. So, if the data is incomplete, the generated content will also be incomplete.
- Training generative models are computationally expensive and time-consuming. And it requires large datasets and considerable computing resources. This limits their availability and scalability in specific applications.
- Generative models may be sensitive to small changes in the input data that may lead to significant changes in the generated output.
- Generative AI can be used to generate deepfakes or other forms of synthetic content. This type of content has raised important ethical concerns regarding privacy, security, and the potential for abuse.
The future of productive artificial intelligence
It is expected that generative AI will have a significant impact in various fields in the future. Here are some key aspects of the future of artificial intelligence:
1. Creative applications
Generative AI can revolutionize the creative industries by helping artists, designers, and musicians produce new and unique content. For example, artists can use AI models to create digital paintings or produce new musical compositions.
2. Personalization and customization
Generative AI can be used to personalize user experiences in various domains. For example, in e-commerce and shopping websites, AI models can generate customized product recommendations based on individual preferences and behavior reviews. On the other hand, in healthcare, artificial intelligence can create personalized treatment plans based on patient data.
3. Content production and enhancement
Artificial intelligence models are used to automate content creation for various purposes. This advantage will save time and resources for the organization.
4. Virtual reality and augmented reality
Artificial intelligence models can generate realistic 3D environments, objects, and characters, making the virtual world more believable and interactive.
5. Assist in research and development
Generative AI supports scientific research, innovation, and product development. For example, AI models can help generate new chemical compounds, design new materials, or find solutions in the optimization of complex problems.
6. Data analysis and simulation
AI models analyze and simulate data. This advantage can be useful in situations where limited data is available or when data generation is costly or time-consuming.
It is important to note that the future of generative AI depends on continuous research, advancements in artificial intelligence techniques, and ensuring its positive impact on society.