Token
The basic building blocks of text that AI reads and writes, usually representing a word or a piece of a word.
In Plain English
To an AI, words are not read like humans read them; they are chopped up into smaller pieces called tokens. Think of tokens like syllables or LEGO bricks that the AI snaps together to build sentences. A short word like "cat" is one token, but a long word like "hamburger" might be split into two or three tokens. AI companies often charge money based on how many tokens you use.
Real-World Example
The word "unbelievable" being split by the AI into three tokens: "un", "believ", and "able".