Artificial intelligence has transformed how we interact with technology, with ChatGPT, LLMs, and Generative AI leading the way.
To find out more, we asked Ben Rigby, SVP Global Head of Product and Engineering at Talkdesk, to explain the key differences between ChatGPT, Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI.
Video: What is the Difference Between ChatGPT, Large Language Models and Generative AI?
Watch the video below to hear Ben explain the key differences between ChatGPT, LLMs, and Generative AI:
With thanks to Ben Rigby, SVP Global Head of Product and Engineering at Talkdesk, for contributing to this video.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a chat-based application developed by OpenAI. It allows users to have conversations with an AI that provides natural, humanlike responses.
In essence, ChatGPT is a product that uses advanced AI technology to engage with users through text.
“ChatGPT is a chat application or a product that’s offered by OpenAI, which is the company that made ChatGPT. It really is just a product that you can use to chat with, that delivers reasonable and humanlike responses.”
What Are Large Language Models (LLMs)?
ChatGPT is powered by a large language model (LLM). An LLM is a type of AI system trained on massive amounts of text from the internet.
It uses a neural network with billions of adjustable “weights,” which influence how the model predicts and generates text, as Ben explains:
“A large language model is a type of neural network, or it’s a flavour of AI model, that’s been trained on large quantities of unlabelled text.
Which essentially means all of the internet has been funnelled into this large language model, and it has billions of weights. And weights are like little knobs that you turn this way and that way to impact how that large language model makes its predictions.”
LLMs have been in widespread use since 2018, but OpenAI’s advancements brought significant improvements, making models like ChatGPT stand out for their more humanlike outputs.
What is Generative AI?
Generative AI covers a wide range of creative and functional applications, with ChatGPT being one example among many, and is a broad term for AI models that produce unique and novel outputs.
Examples of generative AI include:
- ChatGPT
- MidJourney
- Other models that generate video, music, or 3D models.
“Generative AI is an umbrella term that refers to any of these models that produce novel outputs. Meaning that we haven’t seen the output before. ChatGPT produces an output that hasn’t been written anywhere before.
Midjourney produces an output in image form that has artwork that hasn’t been seen before. And there are these models that produce video, that produce 3D models. All of these are referred to as generative AI.”
If you are looking for more great insights from the experts, check out these videos next:
Author: Ben Rigby
Reviewed by: Robyn Coppell
Published On: 30th May 2023 - Last modified: 29th Apr 2025
Read more about - Video, Ben Rigby, ChatGPT, Talkdesk, Videos
