Lesson 6 — Key Limitations and Considerations

Despite their power, generative AI tools have significant limitations that every user must understand.

• Unreliable Output: AI-generated content can be unreliable, especially for time-sensitive information or rapidly changing topics.
• Bias, Misinformation, and Hallucinations: Outputs can contain societal biases from training data, spread incorrect information (misinformation), or confidently state fabricated facts (hallucinations).
• Privacy Concerns: Unless privacy settings are enabled, your conversations with an AI may be used as training data for the model.
• Lack of Universal Standards: There are currently no universal standards or regulations for how AI should be built or used, leading to inconsistencies.
• Consistency Issues: AI can struggle with logical consistency, such as drawing a clock with two different times on its face.

With a firm grasp of the core technologies and their limitations, you’re now equipped to move from theory to practice. Let’s pivot to the essential skill of prompt engineering, where you’ll learn to command these powerful models to deliver exactly what you need.