Gartner has tracked generative AI on its Hype Cycle for Artificial Intelligence since 2020 (also, generative AI was among our Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2022), and the technology has moved from the Innovation Trigger phase to the Peak of Inflated Expectations. But generative AI only hit mainstream headlines in late 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT, a chatbot capable of very human-seeming interactions.
ChatGPT, launched by OpenAI, became wildly popular overnight and galvanized public attention. (OpenAI’s DALL·E 2 tool similarly generates images from text in a related generative AI innovation.)
Gartner sees generative AI becoming a general-purpose technology with an impact similar to that of the steam engine, electricity and the internet. The hype will subside as the reality of implementation sets in, but the impact of generative AI will grow as people and enterprises discover more innovative applications for the technology in daily work and life.