Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition

Get up to speed quickly with generative AI! AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, automated coding tools like Cursor and Copilot, and countless LLM-powered agents have become a part of daily life. They’ve also spawned a storm of misinformation, hype, and doomsaying that makes it tough to understand exactly what Generative AI actually is and what it can really do. Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition delivers a clearly-written survey of generative AI fundamentals along with the techniques and strategies you need to use AI safely and effectively. In this easy-to-read introduction, you’ll learn: • How large language models (LLMs) work • How to apply AI across personal and professional work • The social, legal, and policy landscape around generative AI • Emerging trends like reasoning models and vibe coding Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition guides you from your first eye-opening interaction with tools like ChatGPT to how AI tools can transform your personal and professional life safely and responsibly. This second edition has been completely revised to reflect the latest developments in the field—from the latest innovations in prompt engineering and AI agents to fresh coverage of multimodal training, reasoning models, no-code tools, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and more. About the book Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition is an up-to-date guide to the capabilities, risks, and limitations of tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. This easy-to-follow guide moves quickly through the basics, giving you the skills and understanding to use AI with confidence. Along the way, you’ll explore how AI is impacting even established industries, with an expert-level look at global investment in AI, AI education policy, AI’s economic impact, and the ongoing legal and ethical issues of AI usage. About the reader For anyone interested in generative AI. No technical experience required. About the author Numa Dhamani is a natural language processing expert working at the intersection of technology and society. Maggie Engler is an engineer and researcher currently working on safety for large language models.