Lesson
Introduction to Generative AI
Introduction to generative AI
When people hear the term "AI" today, they often picture a chatbot that drafts emails or creates images in seconds. That experience is actually only one of the many branches of artificial intelligence, called generative AI.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as text, images, or audio, based on the input you provide (also known as a prompt). It often uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyze training data and predict the most likely next token in a sequence to produce a realistic output, functioning much like an advanced autocomplete feature.
A token is the fundamental unit that an LLM predicts. For text-based outputs, a token can be thought of as a word, but for image or video generation, a token can represent a single pixel or next frame in the video sequence. Tokens are the unit of measurement for everything an LLM processes. They determine what the model can see, how fast it responds, and how much it costs to run.
For marketers, generative AI can be a powerful tool for drafting, brainstorming, and content personalization. However, it’s crucial to understand how to effectively leverage this technology to generate the most accurate outputs—using it to strengthen your connection with your users and steering clear of outputs that sound robotic and impersonal.
What you will learn in this course
In this course, you will discover core concepts of generative AI, prompt and context engineering, and how you can use them to help you achieve optimal performance from your AI models.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
- Explain the function of a token in the context of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI
- Explain the importance of prompt engineering
- Demonstrate the most common prompt engineering techniques
- Explain the importance of context engineering
- Explain the difference between reasoning models and traditional LLMs
- Describe the key components of an agentic AI system, including tools, memory, and planning
You can take this course individually, or as a part of the AI Fundamentals learning path. Completing the full path prepares you for the AI Fundamentals certification, which validates your expertise in the topic. Learn more about the Braze AI Fundamentals Certification on Braze Learning.