# What is GenAI? Generative AI, explained

> Models that produce content, not just classify it.

Generative AI refers to AI systems that produce new content — text, images, audio, video, code — rather than only classifying or scoring existing inputs. In the AI-search context it's shorthand for the LLMs behind ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity, and the diffusion models behind image generation.

## How GenAI differs from LLM, GEO, AEO

Discriminative AI classifies (spam vs not, cat vs dog). Generative AI produces new outputs. The current AI search wave is dominated by generative models — which is why GEO and AEO exist as distinct disciplines.

## How Mentionwell handles GenAI

- Mentionwell is itself a generative pipeline — generating articles, then editing them through a critic loop.
- Optimization stack (AEO + GEO + LLMO) is built specifically for generative-AI consumption surfaces.

## Frequently asked questions about GenAI

### What is generative AI?

AI that produces new content — text, images, audio, video, code — rather than only classifying or scoring existing inputs. Examples: GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Stable Diffusion, Sora.

### How does generative AI change SEO?

It adds new surfaces (AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity) that synthesize answers and cite sources. Classic SEO still works, but AEO and GEO sit on top of it.

## See also

- [LLM — Large Language Model](https://mentionwell.com/llm): The model behind every AI answer.
- [GEO — Generative Engine Optimization](https://mentionwell.com/geo): Be the cited source.
- [AEO — Answer Engine Optimization](https://mentionwell.com/aeo): Be the answer.


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Canonical URL: https://mentionwell.com/generative-ai
Live HTML version: https://mentionwell.com/generative-ai
Site index for AI ingestion: https://mentionwell.com/llms.txt
Full reference: https://mentionwell.com/llms-full.txt