Breaking Down the AI Toolbox: Not Everything is Generative, Karen!

Do you find yourself nodding along at meetings, pretending to know the difference between "generative" and "predictive" AI, while inwardly screaming, "Aren't they all the same?!"

Well, you're not alone. So I figured I would try to help you make some sense here.

Generative AI: The Shiny Unicorn of the AI World

Let's start with Generative AI, the poster child of AI infatuation. Just because it's the Beyoncé of AI doesn't mean it's the only game in town. Generative AI marketing tools create new content, like a fabulous piece of artwork, a future Oscar-winning screenplay, or that catchy new tune you can't get out of your head. They're the 'dreamers' of the AI world, with popular kids like ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard sitting in the limelight.

Predictive AI: The Fortune Tellers

Next up, we have the fortune tellers of AI: Predictive AI. These tools look at past data and predict the future. They're like that weird aunt who reads tea leaves at family gatherings, but with a little more accuracy (usually). They come in a variety of flavors:

• Regression Models: These are the meteorologists of AI. They predict things like how much it'll rain tomorrow or the price of Bitcoin next week.

• Classification Models: They're like bouncers at a nightclub. They categorize stuff – spam email or not, fraudulent transaction or legit, etc.

• Time Series Forecasting Models: They're the Nostradamus of AI. They look at patterns over time to predict future trends, like stock prices or weather patterns.

Descriptive AI: The Storytellers

Then, we have the storytellers: Descriptive AI. These tools help us make sense of our data, spinning tales from numbers and figures:

• Clustering Algorithms: They're like the high school cliques of the AI world, grouping similar items together based on their shared features.

• Dimensionality Reduction Algorithms: These guys are the Marie Kondos of AI, simplifying complex data into something more manageable and less cluttered.

Prescriptive AI: The Know-it-Alls

Moving on, we meet the know-it-alls of AI: Prescriptive AI. These tools not only predict what will happen but also advise you on what to do about it:

• Optimization Algorithms: They're the overachievers, always finding the best solution from all feasible ones. They're behind that annoying GPS voice telling you, "Recalculating."

• Reinforcement Learning Algorithms: Imagine a toddler learning to walk but in AI form. They learn from their mistakes and improve over time, like self-driving cars or AI playing chess.

Perceptual AI: The Superhuman Senses

Next, we encounter the superhuman senses of AI: Perceptual AI. These tools interact with the world using capabilities that mimic or surpass human senses:

• Computer Vision Systems: They're the eagle-eyed scouts of AI, processing and analyzing images and videos to recognize faces or detect objects.

• Natural Language Processing (NLP) Systems: They're the polyglots and poets of AI, understanding, generating, and responding to human language.

• Speech Recognition Systems: They're the court stenographers of AI, converting spoken language into written text.

• Audio Processing Systems: They're the audiophiles, understanding sounds and melodies in music, separating voices in a busy room or even canceling out specific noises like car traffic. Do you know LANDR? It's an automated audio mastering service that relies on AI to refine audio processing. There is also the audio mixing tool Neutron 2 from iZotope, which uses AI to detect instruments and suggest fitting presets to users. These tools use AI to process audio in ways that previously required a human ear​.
  
  

  
  
  

As we continue to experiment with AI, we're starting to solve problems we couldn't even articulate before, like isolating a single voice from a cacophony of sounds or mimicking the complex interactions between non-linear analog audio components. We're even improving spatial simulations for reverb and binaural processing. The future of audio processing with AI is bright, and we're just getting started.

Conclusion

The world of AI is vast and diverse and will continue to push boundaries and unlock new possibilities. Next time you find yourself in an AI conversation, you can confidently navigate the different flavors of AI and appreciate the immense potential that lies within this transformative technology.

Of course, if you need help putting AI to use for your company, we can help.