This LibGuide introduces users to generative artificial intelligence and explains how it works and how it can be used by future lawyers.
We will start by defining key terminology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) generally refers to computer algorithms that appear to simulate human intelligence. One type of AI is machine learning (ML), where an algorithm gets better at a specific task over time with increased experience. A paradigmatic example ML technology is a spam filter or credit card fraud detection. Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content—such as text, images, audio, or code—by learning patterns from existing data. When GenAI is used to create text specifically (as opposed to media or images), a complex linguistic model—called a large language model (LLM)—is typically used to decipher the request in the prompt and generate a relevant response.
The visual below demonstrates the scope and generality of each of these terms:
You may be wondering how these technologies differ from traditional computer programming. After all, aren't these platforms just more sophisticated applications? Yes and no. In traditional programming the user provides the computer with explicit rules about how to process data inputs. By contrast, AI technologies are built so that the user only needs to provide the computer with an expectation of output, rather than the exact rules. Then, the computer (or algorithm) uses various methods (described on the next page) to match the actual output to the user's expectations, as suggested by the diagram below:
Unlike programmers, users of GenAI do not need to learn the syntax and nuances of a particular programming language to achieve results. Rather, they can interact with GenAI platforms using natural language commands, like they would with a human.
