generative AI

noun

variants or less commonly gen AI or generative artificial intelligence

: artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new content (such as images or text) in response to a submitted prompt (such as a query) by learning from a large reference database of examples

Generative AI is a computer tool that can create text that sounds like it was written by a human, based on a given starting point.

—Stephanie Sylvestre

In a departure from previous efforts, Therabot is powered by generative artificial intelligence, meaning it can use existing data and documentation to develop original actions and responses. Another example of generative AI is DALL-E 2, the popular program that can create images from user prompts.

—Sarah Sloat

Publishers hire armies of journalists to produce content. … These publishers will soon leverage generative AI to instantly create thousands of SEO-optimized articles …

—Lloyd Danzig

called also GAI

Examples of generative AI in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Maya Man’s StarQuest (2025), for example, the performance-lecture becomes a way of educating audiences about the process of making work with generative AI software. —Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026

The mercurial nature of generative AI is also still posing a problem for filmmakers. —Marcus Lim, Variety, 16 June 2026

Bridget joins the show to get into how generative AI has skewed perceptions around race, gender, and privilege online. —Brittany Luse, NPR, 16 June 2026

For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for generative AI

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi