What is an AI chatbot?
Also called: chatbot
An AI chatbot is a program you talk to in everyday language that replies like a person would. Modern chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are built on large language models, so they can write, explain and answer questions, but they can also be confidently wrong.
How does an AI chatbot work?
Your messages, plus the conversation so far and the app's system prompt, are sent to a language model, which generates a reply one token at a time.
Why does an AI chatbot matter?
Chatbots are the most common way people use AI. Knowing how they work helps you get better answers and know when to double-check.
An example
Example: A student asks a chatbot to explain photosynthesis like they're 12, then asks follow-up questions until it clicks.
Related terms
Learn it properly
An AI chatbot is covered in AI Foundations, with short lessons, practice questions and instant feedback.