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AI glossary: plain-English meanings of AI words
Every AI word you meet in our guides and the news, explained the way you would tell a friend. Tap a word for the short answer, an everyday example and sources.
- 200 terms
- 9 categories
- Updated 20 Oct 2026
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LLMAI agentMCPOpen weightsTokenContext windowRAGHallucinationPromptFine-tuningGPUBenchmark
All terms, A to Z
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A
- A2AA2A, or Agent2Agent, is an open standard that lets AI agents from different makers talk to each other and share work.Agents & tools
- AcquisitionAn acquisition is when one company buys another company, or most of it.Business & money
- Agent skillsAgent skills are small packs of instructions and files that teach an AI agent how to do one kind of task well.Agents & tools
- Agentic AIAgentic AI is AI that acts on its own to reach a goal, making plans and taking steps instead of only answering questions.Agents & tools
- AGIAGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a future AI that could learn and do most thinking tasks as well as a person.Models
- AGPLThe AGPL is a strict open-source license like the GPL, but it also covers software people use over a network.GitHub & code
- AI agentAn AI agent is an AI that can plan steps and use tools on its own to finish a goal you give it.Agents & tools
- AI alignmentAI alignment is the work of making an AI system do what people actually want and follow human values.Safety & law
- AI avatarAn AI avatar is a digital character or person on screen that speaks and moves using AI.Media & creative
- AI bubbleThe AI bubble is the worry that prices and spending on AI have grown much faster than the real money AI earns.Business & money
- AI chipAn AI chip is a computer chip built to run AI math fast, such as a GPU, a TPU or an NPU.Hardware
- AI coding agentAn AI coding agent is a tool that can read your code, write changes, run commands and fix errors with little help.Agents & tools
- AI memoryAI memory is a way for an AI to keep facts about you or your work so it can use them in later chats.Agents & tools
- AI modelAn AI model is a computer program that learned patterns from examples and uses them to make predictions or create things.Models
- AI music generationAI music generation is technology that creates songs, tunes or sound from a written description.Media & creative
- AI PCAn AI PC is a laptop or desktop with a built-in chip for AI tasks, so it can run some AI features on the device.Hardware
- AI regulationAI regulation means the laws and rules that governments make about how AI can be built and used.Safety & law
- AI safetyAI safety is the work of making sure AI systems are reliable and don't cause harm, whether by mistake or by misuse.Safety & law
- AI upscalingAI upscaling is using AI to make a small or blurry image or video larger and sharper.Media & creative
- AI watermarkAn AI watermark is a hidden or visible mark added to AI-made content so it can be recognized as AI-generated.Safety & law
- Apache 2.0Apache 2.0 is a popular open-source license that allows broad use and includes a clear patent permission.GitHub & code
- APIAn API is a set of rules that lets one piece of software ask another piece of software to do something.Building with AI
- API keyAn API key is a secret code that proves to a service that a request comes from you.Building with AI
- API pricingAPI pricing is how AI companies charge developers for using their models, usually by the amount of text sent and received.Business & money
- Apple SiliconApple Silicon is the family of chips Apple designs for its Mac, iPhone and iPad, with the processor and graphics on one chip.Hardware
- ARC-AGIARC-AGI is a set of visual puzzles that tests whether an AI can learn a new pattern from just a few examples.Benchmarks
- ARRARR is the yearly money a company expects from its regular customers, based on what they pay now.Business & money
B
- Background removalBackground removal is AI that cuts the main subject out of a photo and removes everything behind it.Media & creative
- BenchmarkA benchmark is a standard test that lets you compare how well different AI models do the same tasks.Benchmarks
- Benchmark contaminationBenchmark contamination is when an AI has already seen a test's questions or answers, so its score looks better than its real skill.Benchmarks
- Browser agentA browser agent is an AI that uses a web browser for you, clicking links, filling forms and reading pages like a person would.Agents & tools
C
- Chain of thoughtChain of thought is when an AI writes out its steps one by one before it gives a final answer.Models
- ChatbotA chatbot is a program you talk to in everyday language, by typing or speaking, and it replies like a person would.Agents & tools
- ChatGPTChatGPT is an AI chatbot from OpenAI that answers questions, writes text and helps with tasks in plain language.Agents & tools
- ClaudeClaude is a family of AI models and a chatbot made by the company Anthropic.Agents & tools
- Claude CodeClaude Code is a coding tool from Anthropic that lets the Claude AI read your code, edit files and run commands for you.Agents & tools
- CLIA CLI is a way to control a program by typing short text commands instead of clicking buttons.GitHub & code
- Closed modelA closed model is an AI model whose files are kept private, so you can only use it through the maker's app or service.Models
- Cloud computingCloud computing means using computers owned by someone else, over the internet, instead of your own.Building with AI
- CodexCodex is a coding agent from OpenAI that can read your code, make changes and run tasks for you.Agents & tools
- CommitA commit is a saved snapshot of your changes in Git, with a short note about what you changed.GitHub & code
- ComputeCompute is the computing power used to train and run AI, mostly made up of chips, time and electricity.Hardware
- Computer useComputer use is when an AI looks at a screen and clicks, types and scrolls like a person to do tasks on a computer.Agents & tools
- Computer visionComputer vision is AI that lets computers understand what is in pictures and videos.Media & creative
- ContainerA container is a small, sealed package that holds an app and everything it needs to run.GitHub & code
- Content CredentialsContent Credentials are a digital label attached to a file that shows who made it and whether AI was used.Media & creative
- Context engineeringContext engineering is choosing what information an AI sees, such as instructions, files and past messages, so it can do its job well.Building with AI
- Context windowA context window is the amount of text an AI model can keep in mind at one time while it answers.Models
- CopyrightCopyright is the legal right of a creator to control who can copy, share or sell their original work.Safety & law
- CPUA CPU is the main chip in a computer, the part that follows instructions and runs your programs one step after another.Hardware
- CUDACUDA is software from NVIDIA that lets programs use NVIDIA graphics cards for fast math, and many AI tools depend on it.Hardware
- CursorCursor is a code editor with AI built in, so you can ask it to write, change or explain code.Agents & tools
D
- Data centerA data center is a big building full of computers that store data and run online services, including AI models.Hardware
- Deep learningDeep learning is a kind of machine learning that uses neural networks with many layers to learn complex patterns.Models
- DeepfakeA deepfake is a fake photo, video or voice made by AI that looks or sounds like a real person.Safety & law
- DependencyA dependency is another piece of software that a program needs to work.GitHub & code
- Diffusion modelA diffusion model is an AI that makes images by starting from random noise and cleaning it up step by step.Models
- DistillationDistillation is a way to teach a small AI model to copy the answers of a bigger one.Models
- DockerDocker is a free tool that packs an app and everything it needs into one box so it runs the same anywhere.GitHub & code
E
- Edge AIEdge AI is AI that runs on your own device, like a phone or camera, instead of on a faraway server.Hardware
- Elo ratingAn Elo rating is a score that goes up when you win and down when you lose, based on who you beat.Benchmarks
- EmbeddingsEmbeddings are lists of numbers that stand for the meaning of text, images or other data so a computer can compare them.Models
- EncryptionEncryption scrambles information so only someone with the right key can read it.Safety & law
- Environment variableAn environment variable is a named setting stored outside your code, often used to hold things like API keys.Building with AI
- EU AI ActThe EU AI Act is a European Union law that sets rules for AI, with stricter rules for uses that carry more risk.Safety & law
F
- Fair useFair use is a rule in United States law that lets people use parts of copyrighted work in some cases without asking.Safety & law
- Fake GitHub starsFake GitHub stars are stars bought or faked to make a project look more popular than it really is.Safety & law
- Fine-tuningFine-tuning is giving an already trained AI model extra practice on specific examples so it gets better at one job.Models
- FLOPsFLOPs count the math steps a computer does, and AI people use them to measure how much work a model needs.Hardware
- ForkA fork is your own copy of someone else's project on GitHub, which you can change without touching the original.GitHub & code
- Foundation modelA foundation model is a large AI model trained on broad data that can be adapted to many different jobs.Models
- FreemiumFreemium is a pricing style where a basic version is free and extra features cost money.Business & money
- Frontier modelA frontier model is one of the most capable AI models available at a given time, made by a top AI lab.Models
- Funding roundA funding round is a moment when a company sells shares to investors to raise money.Business & money
G
- GDPRGDPR is a European Union privacy law that gives people control over their personal data and sets rules for companies.Safety & law
- GeminiGemini is Google's family of AI models and the chatbot that uses them.Agents & tools
- Generative AIGenerative AI is AI that creates new things, such as text, images, sound, video or code, from a short instruction.Models
- GitGit is a free tool that keeps track of every change made to a project's files, so you can go back or work with others.GitHub & code
- git cloneGit clone is a command that downloads a full copy of a GitHub project onto your computer.GitHub & code
- GitHubGitHub is a website where people store, share, and work together on code and other project files.GitHub & code
- GitHub CopilotGitHub Copilot is an AI coding helper from GitHub that suggests code and answers questions while you work.Agents & tools
- GitHub starsGitHub stars are like bookmarks or likes that people give to a project on GitHub to show interest.GitHub & code
- GitHub TrendingGitHub Trending is a page on GitHub that lists projects getting a lot of attention right now.GitHub & code
- GPLThe GPL is an open-source license that lets you use and change software, but asks you to share your changes under the same rules.GitHub & code
- GPQA DiamondGPQA Diamond is a set of very hard science questions that tests whether an AI can reason like an expert.Benchmarks
- GPUA GPU is a computer chip built to do many small calculations at the same time, which makes it great for graphics and AI.Hardware
- GuardrailsGuardrails are rules and checks that keep an AI system from giving harmful, off-topic or unsafe answers.Safety & law
H
- HallucinationA hallucination is when an AI states something false or made up in a confident way.Models
- HBMHBM is a very fast type of memory stacked in layers and placed right next to an AI chip.Hardware
- Headless browserA headless browser is a web browser that runs without a visible window, so programs can load and control web pages automatically.Agents & tools
- HomebrewHomebrew is a free tool for Mac and Linux that installs software using one short command.GitHub & code
- Hugging FaceHugging Face is a website where people share AI models, datasets and demo apps, many of them free to use.Agents & tools
- Humanity's Last ExamHumanity's Last Exam is a very hard test with expert questions that is built to challenge the best AI models.Benchmarks
I
- IDEAn IDE is an app where developers write, test, and fix code, with helpful tools all in one place.GitHub & code
- Index pointsIndex points are the score on a combined index, such as the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, that blends many tests into one number.Benchmarks
- InferenceInference is when a trained AI model is used to answer a question or make something, as opposed to learning.Models
- InpaintingInpainting is AI that fills in or replaces part of an image, based on the area around it and your instructions.Media & creative
- IPOAn IPO is when a private company sells its shares to the public for the first time.Business & money
J
K
L
- LatencyLatency is the wait between sending a request to an AI and getting the first part of its answer.Benchmarks
- LeaderboardA leaderboard is a ranked list that shows how AI models score on a test or in votes.Benchmarks
- LinuxLinux is a free, open-source operating system, like Windows or macOS, used on servers and many developer computers.GitHub & code
- Lip syncLip sync is AI that matches a person's mouth movements in a video to a new audio track.Media & creative
- LiveBenchLiveBench is a test for AI models that uses fresh questions with answers that can be checked automatically.Benchmarks
- LLMAn LLM is an AI model trained on huge amounts of text so it can read, write and answer in plain language.Models
- LM StudioLM Studio is a free desktop app that lets you download and chat with AI models on your own computer.Agents & tools
- LMArenaLMArena is a website where people vote on which of two anonymous AI answers is better, creating a public ranking.Benchmarks
- Local AILocal AI means running an AI model on your own computer or phone instead of sending your questions to a company's servers.Building with AI
- LocalhostLocalhost is the name for your own computer when it talks to itself instead of going out on the internet.Building with AI
M
- Machine learningMachine learning is a way of building software that learns from examples instead of following rules written by hand.Models
- MalwareMalware is harmful software made to damage your device, steal your data or spy on you.Safety & law
- MarkdownMarkdown is a simple way to format text, like adding headings and bullet points, using plain symbols.Building with AI
- Market capMarket cap is the total value of a public company, found by multiplying its share price by its number of shares.Business & money
- MCPMCP, or Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that lets AI apps connect to tools and data in a common way.Agents & tools
- MIT LicenseThe MIT License is a very relaxed open-source license that lets you use, change, and share software with few limits.GitHub & code
- Mixture of expertsMixture of experts is an AI design where a model has many specialist parts and uses only a few for each task.Models
- Model weightsModel weights are the saved numbers that hold everything an AI model learned during training.Models
- Multi-agent systemA multi-agent system is a group of AI agents that work together, each with its own role, to finish a job.Agents & tools
- Multimodal AIMultimodal AI is AI that can work with more than one kind of input or output, like text, images, sound and video.Models
N
- n8nn8n is a tool that lets you connect apps and build automations by linking blocks on a screen.Agents & tools
- Neural networkA neural network is a computer system made of many small connected units that learns patterns, loosely like a brain.Models
- No-codeNo-code means building apps or automations by clicking and dragging on screen, without writing any code.Building with AI
- Node.jsNode.js is a free program that lets computers run JavaScript code outside a web browser.GitHub & code
- NotebookLMNotebookLM is a Google tool that lets you upload your own documents and ask an AI questions about them.Agents & tools
- npmnpm is a free tool and online library for downloading and installing JavaScript software.GitHub & code
- NPUAn NPU is a small chip inside a phone or laptop that is built to run AI tasks quickly while using little battery.Hardware
O
- OCROCR is technology that reads text in pictures or scans and turns it into text you can edit and search.Media & creative
- OllamaOllama is a free tool that lets you download and run AI models on your own computer.Agents & tools
- Open sourceOpen source means software whose code is public, so anyone can read it, use it, and often change it.GitHub & code
- Open weightsOpen weights means a company shares an AI model's trained files so anyone can download and run the model.Models
- OpenRouterOpenRouter is a service that gives you one account and one API key to use many different AI models.Agents & tools
P
- Package managerA package manager is a tool that finds, installs, updates and removes software add-ons for you, so you don't do it by hand.GitHub & code
- ParametersParameters are the many tiny numbers inside an AI model that it adjusts while learning, and they store what it knows.Models
- Pay as you goPay as you go means you pay only for what you use, instead of a fixed monthly fee.Business & money
- pippip is the tool that downloads and installs add-ons and programs for Python.GitHub & code
- PluginA plugin is a small add-on that gives an app new features without changing the app itself.Agents & tools
- PromptA prompt is the text or instruction you give to an AI to tell it what you want.Building with AI
- Prompt engineeringPrompt engineering is the skill of writing clear instructions so an AI gives you better answers.Building with AI
- Prompt injectionPrompt injection is an attack where hidden text tricks an AI into following the attacker's instructions instead of yours.Safety & law
- PseudocodePseudocode is a plain-language outline of how a program works, written in everyday words instead of real code.Building with AI
- Pull requestA pull request is a message asking the owner of a project to add your changes to it.GitHub & code
- PythonPython is a popular, beginner-friendly programming language, widely used for AI tools.GitHub & code
Q
R
- RAGRAG is a method where an AI looks up facts in your documents first, then uses them to write its answer.Agents & tools
- RAMRAM is the short-term memory of a computer, where it keeps the programs and data it is using right now.Hardware
- Rate limitA rate limit is a cap on how many requests you can send to a service in a set amount of time.Building with AI
- READMEA README is the first file of a project, written to explain what it is and how to use it.GitHub & code
- Reasoning modelA reasoning model is an AI model that works through a problem step by step before it gives its final answer.Models
- Red teamingRed teaming is when a group plays the attacker on purpose to find weak spots in a system before real attackers do.Safety & law
- RepoA repo, short for repository, is a project folder on GitHub that holds the files and keeps a history of every change.GitHub & code
- Reverse engineeringReverse engineering is taking a finished product or program apart to figure out how it works, without having the original plans.GitHub & code
S
- SaaSSaaS is software you use through a website or app and pay for by subscription, instead of installing it yourself.Building with AI
- SandboxA sandbox is a safe, fenced-off space where code can run without being able to harm the rest of your computer.Building with AI
- SDKAn SDK is a toolkit of ready-made code that helps developers build apps for a certain service or platform.Building with AI
- Self-hostingSelf-hosting means running a tool or service on your own computer or server instead of using the maker's website.Building with AI
- Semantic searchSemantic search is search that finds results by meaning, not only by the exact words you typed.Agents & tools
- SemiconductorA semiconductor is a material that can switch electricity on and off, and it is what computer chips are made from.Hardware
- Small language modelA small language model is a compact AI language model that is light enough to run on a laptop or phone.Models
- Software licenseA software license is a set of rules that says what you are allowed to do with a piece of software.GitHub & code
- Speech-to-textSpeech-to-text is technology that listens to speech and turns it into written words.Media & creative
- StartupA startup is a young company built to grow fast, often around a new idea or product.Business & money
- Structured outputStructured output is an AI answer in a fixed format, like a JSON form, so a program can read it easily.Building with AI
- SubagentA subagent is a smaller AI helper that a main AI agent starts to handle one part of a bigger job.Agents & tools
- SuperintelligenceSuperintelligence is a possible future AI that would be far smarter than the best human minds in almost every area.Models
- Supply chain attackA supply chain attack sneaks harmful code into software through a tool, package or update that many people trust.Safety & law
- SWE-benchSWE-bench is a test that checks whether an AI can fix real bugs from real open source projects.Benchmarks
- System promptA system prompt is a hidden set of instructions that tells an AI how to behave before you say anything.Building with AI
T
- TemperatureTemperature is a setting that controls how predictable or creative an AI model's answers are.Models
- TerminalThe terminal is an app on your computer where you type text commands to control it.GitHub & code
- Terminal-BenchTerminal-Bench is a test that checks whether an AI agent can finish real tasks by typing commands in a terminal.Benchmarks
- Text-to-imageText-to-image is AI that makes a picture from a short written description called a prompt.Media & creative
- Text-to-speechText-to-speech is technology that reads written text out loud in a computer made voice.Media & creative
- Text-to-videoText-to-video is AI that makes a short video clip from a written description or a still image.Media & creative
- TokenA token is a small chunk of text, often part of a word, that an AI model reads and writes one at a time.Models
- Tokens per secondTokens per second is how fast an AI writes its answer, counted in small pieces of text called tokens.Benchmarks
- Tool callingTool calling is when an AI model asks to use an outside tool, like search or a calculator, and then uses the result.Agents & tools
- TPUA TPU is a chip made by Google that is designed to run AI math quickly, mostly inside Google's own data centers.Hardware
- TrainingTraining is the process where an AI model learns patterns by studying large amounts of example data.Models
- Training dataTraining data is the collection of examples an AI model studies to learn, such as text, images or audio.Models
- TransformerA transformer is the type of AI design behind most chatbots, built to track how words in a text relate to each other.Models
- TyposquattingTyposquatting is when someone makes a fake repo, package or website with a name almost the same as a real one.Safety & law
V
- ValuationValuation is the price tag put on a whole company, based on what investors think it is worth.Business & money
- Vector databaseA vector database is a place that stores text, images or sound as numbers so a computer can find things with similar meaning.Agents & tools
- Venture capitalVenture capital is money that investors put into young companies in return for a share of them.Business & money
- Vibe codingVibe coding is building software by describing what you want to an AI in plain words, and letting it write the code.Building with AI
- Virtual machineA virtual machine is a pretend computer that runs as a program inside your real computer.GitHub & code
- Voice cloningVoice cloning is AI that copies how a person sounds, so it can say new words in that voice.Media & creative
- VRAMVRAM is the fast memory on a graphics card, and it decides how large an AI model you can run on your own computer.Hardware
- VS CodeVS Code is a free code editor from Microsoft that many developers use to write and manage code.GitHub & code
- VulnerabilityA vulnerability is a flaw in software or hardware that an attacker could use to cause harm.Safety & law
W
- WebhookA webhook is a way for one app to automatically send a message to another app when something happens.Building with AI
- WhisperWhisper is a free speech recognition model from OpenAI that turns spoken audio into written text.Media & creative
- Workflow automationWorkflow automation is using software to run a repeated set of steps for you, so you don't do them by hand.Agents & tools
- World modelA world model is an AI system that builds an inner picture of how the world works so it can predict what happens next.Models
- WSLWSL is a Windows feature that lets you run Linux inside your Windows computer.GitHub & code
Y
Z
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