Definition
What this term means
A family of large language models developed by OpenAI that form the foundation of ChatGPT and numerous other AI applications. GPT models are pre-trained on internet-scale text data and then fine-tuned for conversational use, powering some of the most widely used AI assistants in the world. The architecture has become so influential that 'GPT' is often used colloquially to refer to generative AI in general.
Why it matters
The business impact
GPT models power ChatGPT, which has over 200 million weekly active users globally. When these users ask for product recommendations, service comparisons, or expert advice, GPT's understanding of your brand directly determines whether you appear in the response. Optimising for GPT-based systems is essential for reaching the largest AI audience available today.
Used in context
How you might use this term
“An agency tested GPT-4o's responses to 50 category-relevant prompts and found their client was mentioned in only 3. After implementing entity optimisation and strengthening authority signals, the client appeared in 28 of the same prompts within two months.”
Related terms
Explore connected concepts
LLM
A type of artificial intelligence model trained on vast datasets of text to understand, generate, and reason about human language. LLMs power the AI assistants and generative search tools, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, that are rapidly becoming the primary way people discover products, services, and information online.
Transformer
A family of large language models developed by OpenAI that form the foundation of ChatGPT and numerous other AI applications. GPT models are pre-trained on internet-scale text data and then fine-tuned for conversational use, powering some of the most widely used AI assistants in the world. The architecture has become so influential that 'GPT' is often used colloquially to refer to generative AI in general.
ChatGPT
OpenAI's conversational AI assistant, powered by the GPT family of language models. ChatGPT has become one of the most widely used AI platforms in the world, with over 200 million weekly active users. It handles everything from general knowledge queries and product recommendations to code generation and creative writing. ChatGPT can browse the web for current information and cite sources in its responses.