What is temperature in AI?
Temperature is a setting that changes how predictable the next word is. Low temperature sticks to the likely phrasing. High temperature wanders. It is not a measure of how hot the computer is, and it is not a truth dial.
Also called: top-p, sampling
In plain English
Think of it as how willing the draft is to surprise you. A reminder text wants a low setting so it stays on the facts. A brainstorm for a window slogan can sit higher so you get options you would not have typed. The name and the allowed range depend on the app. Read that app's help before you change a number you found in a screenshot.
How an owner would use it
Leave the default until a draft is either robotic or all over the place. Nudge once, rerun the same facts, and keep the version a customer could receive. Do not hunt a perfect number.
Common mistakes
Cranking temperature to fix a wrong price does not make the price righter. It makes the sentence less stable. Owners also copy a setting from a coder's post and assume every product uses the same scale. If the product hides the setting, you do not need it. Write a tighter prompt instead.
A worked example
A sign shop
Slogans can wander, invoices cannot
This is an illustration, not a customer result. For a cafe's window vinyl, the owner asks for eight short lines and lets the draft vary. For the install confirmation, they use a plain prompt with the date, the address, and the deposit already typed. They do not turn temperature up to make the confirmation 'more creative.'
Related terms
Prompts and guides
Questions owners ask
What is temperature in an AI model?
It is a randomness control on how the model picks the next word. Lower is more predictable. Higher varies more. It does not check facts.
How should an owner set temperature?
Use a calmer setting for anything with a date, a price, or a promise. Use a looser setting only when you are choosing among options you will edit.
What is top-p, if a screen shows it next to temperature?
Top-p is another way to limit how far the model may wander. You do not need both as a hobby. If you change one, leave the other at the product's default and judge the draft.
Product guides are on AI apps for business.