AI Technical Jargon Explained — A Beginner-Friendly Glossary
A simple, practical glossary of common AI and automation terms—like RAG, Chain of Thought, One-Shot Prompting, and Vector Databases—explained in plain English for creators and beginners.
Most AI tutorials assume you already know the vocabulary.
You'll see terms like "RAG," "Chain of Thought," "One-Shot Prompting," or "Embeddings"—and if you're new to AI, it can be hard to tell what any of that means.
This page breaks down the most important AI and automation terms you'll see in advanced guides or across the web, explained in plain English and built for beginners.
If you're learning prompting, automation, or AI workflows, this glossary will help you instantly understand the ideas behind more technical content.
Prompting Basics
Chain of Thought (CoT)
What it is:
A method where the AI explains its step-by-step reasoning before giving the final answer.
Why it matters:
More accurate responses, less hallucination.
Related reading: AI Prompting Essentials
Zero-Shot Prompting
Definition:
You ask the AI to do a task with no examples.
Use case:
Simple tasks—summaries, explanations, rewrites.
One-Shot Prompting
Definition:
You give one example to show the format or tone.
Use case:
Consistency in style.
Few-Shot Prompting (Two-Shot, Three-Shot, etc.)
Definition:
Providing multiple examples so the model learns your style or structure.
Use case:
Scripts, emails, branded content, tutorials.
Prompt Chaining
Definition:
Breaking a big task into smaller, sequential prompts.
Why it matters:
Higher accuracy, more control.
Related reading: How To Build a Simple Automation
Architecture & AI System Terms
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Definition:
AI retrieves information from your documents before answering.
Beginner translation:
AI "looks things up" instead of guessing.
Use cases:
Knowledge bots, FAQs, training assistants, internal search.
Vector Database
Definition:
A database that stores "embeddings" (numerical meaning representations).
Beginner translation:
A smart storage system that lets AI search by meaning, not keywords.
Examples:
Supabase Vector, Pinecone, Weaviate.
Embeddings
Definition:
Numerical representations of text that capture meaning and similarity.
Beginner translation:
Turning text into numbers so AI can recognize relationships.
Tokens
Definition:
Small pieces of text used to measure how long prompts and outputs are.
Why it matters:
Tokens determine model limitations and cost.
Context Window
Definition:
The maximum amount of text an AI model can "remember" at one time.
Bigger window = better memory.
Hallucination
Definition:
AI confidently gives incorrect or fabricated information.
Why it happens:
Bad context, vague prompts, or missing data.
AI Agent & Automation Terms
Agents
Definition:
AI systems that take actions, call tools, or follow workflows autonomously.
Beginner translation:
Little AI workers that can do things, not just talk.
Tool Calling / Function Calling
Definition:
AI using external tools like Notion, Google Search, emails, or your database.
Why it matters:
It lets the AI take real actions.
System Prompt / System Instruction
Definition:
The "rulebook" that defines how the AI behaves before the user speaks.
Beginner translation:
The AI's personality and role definition.
Temperature
Definition:
Controls creativity and randomness.
- Low = accurate and straightforward
- High = creative, experimental
Rewriting Passes
Definition:
Layered rewrites where each pass improves something specific.
Beginner translation:
Like editing in Photoshop layers—each step refines the output.
Why This Matters
Once you understand these terms, advanced AI guides instantly become digestible.
You won't feel lost when you see phrases like:
- "Use CoT for accuracy."
- "Apply a few-shot example to lock tone."
- "This bot uses RAG—update your embeddings."
- "The model hallucinated because of context overflow."
This glossary is meant to be your reference hub inside the Playbook—bookmark it, and revisit anytime you hit a new term.
More Resources to Learn Prompting & Workflow Design
- AI Prompting Essentials — The Skills Every Creator Needs
- AI Tools You Need to Start Your Content Engine (2025 Edition)
- How I Use AI to Organize My Week Inside Notion
- Notion for Creators — The Dashboard That Runs Your Entire Brand
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