Some words have a way of sneaking into every meeting without ever really being invited. Generative AI, GPT, AI agents - they show up often, but how well do we actually know them?

This guide is for anyone who's nodded along one too many times. Straightforward definitions, no hype. Just the clarity you need to make sense of the tools that are quietly reshaping the way things get done.

Key AI Terms Explained

‍
What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to computer systems designed to mimic human cognitive functions such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. Unlike traditional software, AI systems improve performance through exposure to data and experience. AI is the foundation for many automation and analysis tools across marketing, customer service, and business operations.

‍
Generative AI

Generative AI describes models that can create new content—like text, images, audio, or code—based on patterns learned from existing data. Instead of simply analyzing information, these systems generate original outputs, fuelling innovations such as automated copywriting, image synthesis, and personalized content production.

Examples of generative AI use cases:

Producing tailored marketing emails or social posts
Generating code snippets for developers
Creating realistic product images from text instructions
LLM (Large Language Model)

Large Language Model (LLM)

A LLM is a type of AI model trained on vast collections of text to predict and generate human-like language. LLMs form the backbone of modern AI chatbots, writing assistants, and translation tools, providing fast, context-aware responses to user input.

Key features of LLMs:

Understand context in natural language queries
Generate fluent, relevant responses
Continuously improve as they process more data
AI Assistant

An AI assistant is a digital tool powered by AI designed to help users accomplish tasks or find information efficiently. Unlike simple scripted bots, AI assistants can interpret complex instructions, hold context across conversations, and offer recommendations.

Common uses for AI assistants:

Writing support (e.g., drafting emails or reports)
Scheduling meetings and reminders
Summarizing documents
GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer)

GPT denotes a family of LLMs, most notably built by OpenAI, that use a deep learning architecture known as the transformer. GPT systems are trained on extensive text data, allowing them to generate coherent, contextually relevant text. While "GPT" became a household name through tools like ChatGPT, many LLMs use similar principles with varying strengths and applications.

AI Agent

An AI agent is an autonomous software entity capable of observing its environment and taking actions to achieve specific goals. Unlike AI assistants that mainly respond to user instructions, agents can independently plan steps, execute tasks, and adapt their strategies over time.

Example differences:

AI Assistant: Responds to “please draft this post.”
AI Agent: Given a goal (“increase our social media engagement”), autonomously researches, drafts, schedules, and adapts campaign activity.
Agentic Systems

Agentic systems are environments or platforms where multiple AI agents can operate, collaborate, and accomplish complex objectives. These systems are designed for scenarios where tasks require coordination, adaptation, and ongoing decision-making without constant human input.

GPT vs. AI Agent

A GPT model is designed to generate text based on a prompt. It excels at writing emails, product descriptions, social media posts, and more. The user provides instructions or context, and the GPT outputs fluent, relevant content—but the process is limited to single-step text generation.

An AI agent, in contrast, orchestrates a full workflow. It not only creates content (potentially using a GPT as a tool), but also plans, schedules, publishes across platforms, monitors engagement, and adapts its strategy over time—handling the entire campaign cycle without direct prompts at every step.

Simple overview:
GPT: “Write a blog post about our new product launch.” → Produces a full draft blog post.
AI Agent: “Run a campaign for our new product launch.” → Researches audience trends, uses a GPT to draft content, schedules posts, distributes across multiple channels, analyzes performance, adjusts the strategy, and delivers a summary report—managing the entire process from start to finish.

If you’re curious about AI agents or want to see them in action, contact us at hello@ayra.se book a demo with our team.