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1.3.3: Key difference between rules (algorithms) and examples (training data)

  • Page ID
    253447

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    The Instructions vs. The Inspiration

    When you interact with an AI tool like ChatGPT, two components are working together behind the scenes:

    1. Algorithms — the rules or instructions that guide the AI’s behavior
    2. Training Data — the examples the AI has seen and learned patterns from

    Both are essential, but they do very different things.


    ⚙️ Algorithms = The Rules

    Algorithms are the set of steps the AI follows to complete a task. They determine:

    • How the AI breaks down your input
    • How it assigns probabilities to possible outputs
    • How it builds a response word by word (or pixel by pixel)

    Think of the algorithm like a chef’s recipe: it gives the instructions, but doesn’t supply the ingredients.


    📚 Training Data = The Examples

    Training data is the massive library of examples the AI has learned from—books, articles, code, images, and more. It provides the patterns the AI draws on to:

    • Recognize common phrases, formats, or structures
    • Know what “sounds” academic, friendly, or professional
    • Simulate knowledge across a wide range of topics

    Think of training data as the chef’s pantry: it supplies the ingredients, based on what’s been used before.


    🧠 How They Work Together

    When you ask an AI to write something:

    • The algorithm decides how to respond
    • The training data shapes what that response looks like

    The result is a blend of structured rules and flexible pattern recognition.


    🎓 Why It Matters for Instructors

    Understanding this difference helps clarify why:

    • AI outputs follow clear structure but can still hallucinate content
    • Changing the algorithm (e.g., updating to GPT-4) may improve performance without changing the training data
    • Even a great algorithm can't produce accurate content from poor or biased data

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    This page titled 1.3.3: Key difference between rules (algorithms) and examples (training data) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by .


    This page titled 1.3.3: Key difference between rules (algorithms) and examples (training data) is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Pamela Huntington.