Glossary of Gen AI Terms

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🧠 Core AI Concepts

TermDefinition
Generative AIA category of AI that creates new content (text, images, code) in response to user inputs
Large Language Model (LLM)The underlying technology (like GPT-5, Claude, Gemini) trained on massive datasets to understand and generate human-like language
HallucinationWhen an AI confidently generates incorrect or fabricated information
Stochastic ParrotA term describing how AI assembles statistically probable sequences of words without true underlying understanding
BiasSystematic prejudice in AI outputs resulting from the data used to train the model

🔧 Prompting & Context Engineering

TermDefinition
Prompt EngineeringThe practice of refining inputs to get the most accurate and useful outputs
Context EngineeringCreating the specific environment or background instructions (like a “Knowledge Stack”) that allow the AI to deliver consistent results
Persona (Role-Playing)Instructing the AI to adopt a specific role (e.g., “Act as an expert editor”) to influence tone and expertise
Zero-Shot PromptingAsking for a task with no examples provided
Few-Shot PromptingProviding a few examples to guide the AI’s style or format
Chain-of-Thought (CoT)Asking the AI to “think step-by-step” to improve reasoning on complex tasks
Negative PromptingExplicitly telling the AI what not to include (e.g., “–no jargon”)

📐 Technical Frameworks & Features

TermDefinition
CORE FrameworkA structured prompting approach: Clarity, Objectives, Relevance, Examples
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)Providing the AI with specific documents to reference, grounding answers in facts and reducing hallucinations
Custom InstructionsPersistent guidelines telling the AI who you are and how you want it to respond across all conversations
Knowledge StackA personalized system of tools, prompts, and reference files that work together for a specific workflow
Bot StackingUsing multiple AI models in one conversation where each builds on the others’ outputs

🔬 Advanced Analysis Terms

TermDefinition
Lexical DensityA measure of content word concentration used to analyze how formal or conversational a text is
Voice DriftThe tendency for AI to gradually strip away a human’s unique writing style during revision
Thematic ClusteringHow AI groups unstructured data into related categories based on mathematical similarity

🍌 BoodleBox-Specific Terms

TermDefinition
Nano BananaGoogle’s Gemini Flash Image generator—fast, no watermarks, great for educational visuals
Knowledge BankYour personal AI library where uploaded files are stored and can be referenced
Star DocsDocuments you “star” to auto-attach to every new chat
Coach ModeBuilt-in feature that teaches you to prompt better as you work
Memory ModeAI remembers previous conversations for continuity

🚀 Quick Reference: Prompting Best Practices

1. Be SPECIFIC - "Write a 3-paragraph summary" beats "summarize this"
2. Assign a ROLE - "You are an expert curriculum designer..."
3. Provide CONTEXT - Include grade level, audience, purpose
4. Give EXAMPLES - Show the format or style you want
5. Set CONSTRAINTS - Word count, tone, what to avoid
6. Request STRUCTURE - "Use bullet points and headers"