Training Data
Also known as: Training Set, Training Dataset, Training Corpus
In one sentence
The collection of examples an AI system learns from. The quality, quantity, and diversity of training data directly determines what the AI can and cannot do.
Explain like I'm 12
If the AI is a student, training data is all the textbooks and examples it studies. Give it bad textbooks, and it learns the wrong things. Give it great ones, and it becomes really smart at that subject.
In context
ChatGPT was trained on billions of web pages, books, and articles—that's its training data. Image generators like DALL-E learned from millions of image-caption pairs. A company building a customer service bot would use past support tickets as training data.
See also
Related Guides
Learn more about Training Data in these guides:
AI Training Data Basics: What AI Learns From
BeginnerUnderstand how training data shapes AI behavior. From data collection to quality—what you need to know about the foundation of all AI systems.
9 min readTraining Data Quality: Garbage In, Garbage Out
IntermediateAI quality depends on training data quality. Learn what makes good training data, common issues, and how to evaluate it.
7 min readData Labeling Fundamentals: Creating Quality Training Data
IntermediateLearn the essentials of data labeling for AI. From annotation strategies to quality control—practical guidance for creating the labeled data that AI needs to learn.
10 min read