Generative AI: App, Interface, Feature, Platform?

One reason it often is hard to categorize generative artificial intelligence is that it can assume different sorts of roles. When using Gemini, it can appear to be an application: you ask it questions and it answers. 

But many would note that Gen AI is also sometimes analogous to a graphical user interface: a way to interact with a computer and its resources. Like a GUI, generative AI acts as an intermediary between the user and the underlying complexities of a system. It translates user intent into specific instructions for the computer to generate desired outputs (think image generation based on text descriptions), using natural language. 

But sometimes, Gen AI might operate as a platform, supporting many other applications and use cases. At other times, it might seem to be an operating system, allocating resources or workflows. 

Perhaps most often, Gen AI will be a feature of any existing application. 

Generative AI Use Case	Analogy	Example
Text-to-Image generation	GUI	A design tool where users describe an image concept and the AI generates different visual options.
Music generation based on genre or mood	Application	A standalone application that creates original music pieces based on user-specified preferences.
Custom GUI	OS	An AI system creates a customized interface based on a single user’s history of interactions
Background removal tool in photo editing software	Feature of an Application	A photo editing program that incorporates an AI feature to automatically remove the background from an image.
Resource and task management	OS	Someday GenAI might allocate resources or create scripts or workflows based on past user experience
AI-powered chatbot for customer service	Application or Feature of an Application	A virtual assistant that can answer customer questions and complete tasks in a conversational way.
AI-generated product descriptions in e-commerce	Feature of an Application	An e-commerce platform that uses AI to generate unique and creative product descriptions based on product details.
Code generation for  programmers	Feature of an Application	A development environment that uses AI to suggest or automatically complete lines of code, improving programmer productivity.