How generative AI works
生成式人工智能的工作原理

Image generated by Adobe Firefly
图像由 Adobe Firefly 生成

What is generative AI? 什么是生成式人工智能？

Generative Artificial Intelligence, or Generative AI, is a class of computer algorithms able to create digital content – including text, images, video, music and computer code. They work by deriving patterns from large sets of training data that become encoded into predictive mathematical models, a process commonly referred to as ‘learning’. Generative AI models do not keep a copy of the data they were trained on, but rather generate novel content entirely from the patterns they encode. People can then use interfaces like ChatGPT or MidJourney to input prompts – typically instructions in plain language – to make generative AI models produce new content.
生成式人工智能（Generative Artificial Intelligence）是一类能够创建数字内容（包括文本、图像、视频、音乐和计算机代码）的计算机算法。它们的工作原理是从大量训练数据中总结出模式，并将其编码为预测性数学模型，这一过程通常被称为 "学习"。生成式人工智能模型不会保留训练数据的副本，而是完全根据编码模式生成新内容。然后，人们可以使用 ChatGPT 或 MidJourney 等界面输入提示（通常是普通语言指令），让生成式人工智能模型生成新内容。

As the development of practical and high-quality generative AI emerges, it can become a helpful tool for our everyday work and has the potential for diverse applications such as art, writing, and software development.
随着实用、高质量的生成式人工智能的发展，它将成为我们日常工作的有用工具，并有可能应用于艺术、写作和软件开发等多个领域。

The core of a generative AI is a trained deep-learning model that understands and generates text, image, or other media in a human-like fashion based on a given user input, i.e. prompt. This model is trained on massive amounts of data to learn from patterns in the data. For example, it would learn that certain words tend to follow others, or that certain phrases are more common in certain contexts. The model uses the prompt to produce a completion, which is then presented back to users.
生成式人工智能的核心是一个训练有素的深度学习模型，它能根据给定的用户输入（即提示），以类似人类的方式理解并生成文本、图像或其他媒体。这个模型是在海量数据的基础上训练出来的，可以学习数据中的模式。例如，它可以学习到某些词语往往紧跟其他词语，或者某些短语在某些语境中更为常见。该模型利用提示生成完成语，然后将其反馈给用户。

 

The video below provides a simple explanation of the mechanism of generative AI.
下面的视频简单解释了生成式人工智能的机制。

 

 

The quality of the generated output depends on several factors, including the amount and quality of the training data, the prompt's complexity, and the model's size. Larger models usually generate better output but require more computing power and resources. Notable examples of generative AI systems include ChatGPT Links to an external site. and Bard, Links to an external site. which focus on language generation, and Midjourney Links to an external site. and DALL-E Links to an external site., which focus on image generation.
生成输出的质量取决于多个因素，包括训练数据的数量和质量、提示的复杂性以及模型的大小。生成式人工智能系统的著名例子包括专注于语言生成的 ChatGPT 和 Bard，以及专注于图像生成的 Midjourney 和 DALL-E。

Some everyday applications of generative AI
生成式人工智能的一些日常应用

Predictive text 预测文本

This technology facilitates typing on a device by suggesting words the user may wish to insert in a text field. The below example shows that predictive text suggests the word "you" to be inserted behind "Good morning, how are".
这项技术通过建议用户在文本字段中插入想要输入的单词，从而方便用户在设备上打字。下面的示例显示，预测文本建议在 "早上好，你好 "后面插入单词 "你"。

 

 

Image style transfer 图像样式转移

This technology that generates a new image by combining the content of one image with the style of another image. The below example is a generated image (using Bing Image Creator) with the content of the painting "Mona Lisa" and the style of "Starry Night". 
这种技术通过将一张图片的内容与另一张图片的风格相结合来生成新的图片。下图是使用必应图像生成器生成的图像（内容为 "蒙娜丽莎"，风格为 "星空"）。