Introduction to AI
Author(s): Poojan Vig
Originally published on Towards AI.
What is AI?
You ask an AI for a quick veggie biryani recipe. A second AI figures out the perfect grocery list and cooking schedule. A third books an Instamart slot, orders your ingredients, and pays via UPI. That’s Generative AI, Agentic AI, and AI Agents handing off tasks seamlessly. But do you know exactly which AI does what — and why knowing the difference matters?
Types of AI
There are three main types of AI:
Generative AI
Generative AI: Creates fresh, original content based on patterns learned from massive datasets.
Agentic AI
Agentic AI: Strategizes, plans, and iterates toward a defined goal — without needing constant nudges from humans.
AI Agents
AI Agents: Actively sense their environment, make decisions, and execute actions in the real (or digital) world.
How Generative AI Works
Generative AI is all about creating new content — whether it’s text, images, videos, code, or even music — by learning patterns from vast amounts of existing data. Think of it as an exceptionally creative friend who’s read a million recipes, poems, and books, and now has an endless imagination to remix them in new ways. You provide a prompt or a question, and Generative AI produces something unique yet familiar by connecting the dots from what it has learned.
Example of Generative AI
For example, if you ask, “Can you suggest a quick veggie biryani recipe?” Generative AI, such as ChatGPT or any other LLM, instantly comes up with a recipe.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the different types of AI and how they work can help us appreciate the complexity and potential of artificial intelligence. By recognizing the unique capabilities of Generative AI, Agentic AI, and AI Agents, we can better utilize these technologies to improve our daily lives.
FAQs
- Q: What is Generative AI?
A: Generative AI creates fresh, original content based on patterns learned from massive datasets. - Q: What is Agentic AI?
A: Agentic AI strategizes, plans, and iterates toward a defined goal — without needing constant nudges from humans. - Q: What are AI Agents?
A: AI Agents actively sense their environment, make decisions, and execute actions in the real (or digital) world. - Q: How does Generative AI work?
A: Generative AI creates new content by learning patterns from vast amounts of existing data and connecting the dots to produce something unique yet familiar.
Published via Towards AI
