Temperature

Temperature is a setting that controls how random or predictable an AI model's output is.

In practice: Low temperature makes the model pick the most likely words, giving consistent, focused answers. High temperature lets it choose less likely words, giving more varied and creative output, but also more mistakes.

Why it matters when picking a tool

Few end-user tools show this setting, but it explains why the same prompt can give different answers. For data extraction and factual tasks you want low; for brainstorming and creative writing, higher. Developer tools and APIs usually let you set it.