Types of AI

Not all AI is the same. The term covers a wide range of different technologies that work in very different ways. Here are the main types you are likely to encounter.

Large Language Models (LLMs)

These are the AI systems behind ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot. They are trained on vast amounts of text and can generate, summarise, translate, and analyse language. They work by predicting the most likely next word, over and over, to produce coherent responses.

Image recognition

AI that can identify what is in a photo — a face, a tumour on an X-ray, a species of bird. This technology powers everything from your phone unlocking with your face to quality control systems in manufacturing.

Recommendation systems

The AI behind Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Trade Me product suggestions. These systems analyse your behaviour and that of millions of similar users to predict what you will engage with next.

Generative AI

AI that creates new content — text, images, music, video, code. This category has exploded since 2022 and includes tools like DALL-E, Midjourney, Suno (music), and GitHub Copilot (code).

Predictive AI

AI that forecasts future outcomes from current data — when a customer is likely to cancel their subscription, whether a patient needs urgent care, what the weather will be. This type of AI is often invisible but extremely widespread in business.

When people say "AI" in the news, they usually mean LLMs. But most AI impacting your life is actually recommendation and prediction systems — quieter, older, and already deeply embedded in how the world works.