What is the difference between an AI model and a chatbot?
An AI model (like GPT-4 or Claude 3) is the underlying 'engine' that understands and generates language. A chatbot (like ChatGPT or Claude.ai) is the user interface or the 'car' built around this engine, allowing you to easily communicate with it.
How much does it cost to use an AI model?
This depends on how you use it. Web interfaces (chatbots) are often free for basic use, or cost a fixed fee of around €20 per month for premium access.
As a developer using an API, you pay per processed unit ('token'). A rough estimate: for advanced models, you pay about €0.01 to €0.03 per 1,000 generated words. Open-source models can be run locally for free, provided you cover the hardware or rental costs of (HPC) computing power yourself.
Is my data safe when I share it with an AI model?
Not always. With many free chatbots, your input (including documents and chat history) is used to train future models. However, if you use paid API access or run a model locally on your own hardware, your data is generally completely protected.
Which model is best suited for which task?
Each model has its strengths. Models from the Claude family are known for their excellent writing style and programming capabilities, GPT-4 models are strong in general logic, and specialized models like DeepSeek perform very well on specific coding tasks. Consult our model selection guide for an up-to-date overview.
What is the difference between open-source and closed-source models?
Open-source models (like Llama) make their model weights public. You can download, customize, and run them yourself, offering ultimate control and privacy. Closed-source models are offered exclusively as a service (via API or web) and run on the secure servers of the company behind them.
What are AI hallucinations and how do I prevent them?
A hallucination occurs when an AI model generates nonsense or incorrect information with full confidence. This happens because the model predicts text and does not have a built-in database of hard facts. You can prevent this by giving good, strict instructions and checking facts.
What is RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)?
RAG is a powerful method to combat AI hallucinations. Before the AI generates an answer, your system searches (for example, via vector search) for relevant documents in your own secure database. This reliable information is fed to the model, allowing the AI to formulate a correct, factual answer. Read more about this in RAG explained.
Do I need technical knowledge to use AI?
For web-based chatbots, you do not need technical knowledge. However, if you want to build your own web applications, integrate APIs, or set up advanced workflows, programming knowledge is essential.
What is the context window of an AI model?
The context window is the model's 'short-term memory': the amount of text it can process at the same time within a single prompt. A context window of 128,000 tokens is roughly equivalent to the content of a sizable book.
Are AI-generated answers protected by copyright?
In most Western jurisdictions, there is currently no copyright on texts or images generated entirely by an AI, due to the lack of a 'human creator'. The specific code or workflow with which you integrate the AI into your applications can, of course, be protected.