Glossary

The key AI terms, briefly explained in plain language.

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AI (artificial intelligence)

Computer programs that do tasks that normally need human thinking, such as writing text, recognising images or answering questions. They learn this from very many examples.

AI Act

The European law on AI. It sets rules based on risk, such as banned uses and a disclosure duty for deepfakes.

AI agent

AI that does not just answer but carries out steps to reach a goal, such as looking something up, editing a file or operating an app. Never let an agent do important things unchecked.

AI assistant (chatbot)

A program you chat with in plain language: you ask a question or give an instruction and get an answer.

AI avatar

A digital presenter that speaks your text in a video, without you filming yourself.

API

A connection that lets software talk to a service. Through an API you can use AI in your own app or automation, usually paid per use.

API key

A secret code that gives access to an API. Never share it or put it in public code or the browser.

Automation (workflow)

A fixed series of steps that runs by itself, for example: new form → data into a spreadsheet → confirmation e-mail.

Commercial use

Using something to make money, for example in ads or for clients. Not every plan allows it; read the terms.

Context window

How much text a language model can take into account at once: your question, the conversation and any documents. When full, the model ‘forgets’ the beginning.

Credits

An allowance you use up per AI task, such as per image or per minute of video. Check how many credits you get per month and what extra credits cost.

Data processing agreement (DPA)

An agreement between your business and a service on how it handles personal data. Required under the GDPR when a service processes personal data for you.

Deepfake

AI-made images, video or audio that look real but are fake. The EU AI Act requires disclosing that such content is AI-generated.

Dubbing

Voicing a video in another language, sometimes with matching lip movements.

Embeddings

A way to turn text into numbers that capture meaning, so software can search by meaning instead of exact words.

EU data residency

Your data is stored on servers inside the European Union. Some organisations require this.

Fine-tuning

Training an existing model further on your own examples so it fits a specific task or writing style better.

Freemium

A service with a limited free version and paid plans with more features.

GDPR

The European privacy law. It sets what companies may do with personal data. Do not enter other people’s personal data without good reason.

Generative AI

AI that creates something new: text, images, music, video or code, based on your description.

Hallucination

When AI confidently states something that is not true, such as an invented source, date or number. Always check important facts.

Language model (LLM)

The ‘brain’ behind an AI chatbot. It has read enormous amounts of text and predicts a fitting answer word by word. LLM stands for large language model.

Multimodal

AI that understands more than one kind of input, for example text and images, sound or video.

No-code

Building something, such as a website, app or automation, without programming: by dragging, clicking and plain language.

Open model (open weights)

An AI model you may download and run yourself. Check the licence: not every open model may be used commercially.

Per-user price

You pay per person using the service. A team of five pays five times the price.

Prompt

The question or instruction you give AI. The clearer the prompt, with goal, context and desired format, the better the result.

RAG (chatting with your own documents)

A technique where AI first retrieves relevant passages from your documents and bases its answer on them, making answers more specific and checkable.

Running locally

Using AI on your own computer instead of over the internet. Your data then stays on your device.

Text to speech

Having a written text read aloud by a computer voice.

Token

A piece of text (often part of a word) a language model works in. API prices and limits are usually expressed per token.

Training on your data

Some services use what you enter to further train their AI. You can often switch it off; check the settings or terms.

Transcription

Automatically turning spoken words into text, for example from an interview or meeting.

Upscaling

Making an image larger and sharper with AI without it becoming blocky.

Verified, Supported, Unverified

Our statuses for prices and facts. Verified: confirmed word for word on the official source. Supported: several sources agree. Unverified: not yet confirmed on the official site.

Voice cloning

Creating an AI voice that sounds like a real person. Only do this with your own voice or explicit consent.

Watermark

A logo or text a service puts on your image or video, often on free plans.

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