Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that create new content — text, images, code, music, or video — rather than merely analyzing or classifying existing data. Large language models like ChatGPT generate text; diffusion models like Midjourney create images; code-generation tools like GitHub Copilot write software. Generative AI is transforming creative work, customer service, software development, and education, though it raises important questions about originality, copyright, and misinformation.