Tech, IT – What’s the difference? Let’s ask Bard…

Following on from my recent post about the terms Technology vs IT, I’ve been playing a little with Google’s Bard AI chatbot this week, so I asked it: “what's the difference between tech and IT” and the result is included below.

Large Language Models (LLM) like Bard and others (e.g. ChatGPT) are trained on a massive amount of text data and use probability to essentially predict from their model what the response should be.  So implying that the publicly available text on the subject holds this to be the case.  For subjects where there is less data the results are more questionable, as you would expect.  Here though I think this is a fair summary.

This seems to back up my argument about the term IT having come to be used, by most people, to mean IT support or implementation only.  Given that ‘Technology’ covers a much wider subject space than just information technology… Is this a good thing?

I’ll leave that thought with you.  What do you think?

Scott

Bard ...

The terms “tech” and “IT” are often used interchangeably, but they actually have different meanings.

Technology is a broad term that refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. It can include anything from simple tools to complex machines.

Information technology (IT) is a subset of technology that deals with the use of computers and telecommunications equipment to create, store, and exchange information. IT professionals are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of IT systems.

In general, tech companies are more focused on developing new technologies, while IT companies are more focused on using existing technologies to support businesses. However, there is some overlap between the two industries. For example, some tech companies also provide IT services, and some IT companies also develop new technologies.

Here are some of the key differences between tech and IT:

• Focus: Tech companies are focused on developing new technologies, while IT companies are focused on using existing technologies to support businesses.
• Products and services: Tech companies typically develop and sell products, such as software, hardware, and services. IT companies typically provide services, such as network administration, security, and support.
• Skills: Tech companies typically hire employees with skills in software development, engineering, and design. IT companies typically hire employees with skills in network administration, security, and support.
• Culture: Tech companies tend to have a more entrepreneurial culture, while IT companies tend to have a more corporate culture.

Ultimately, the difference between tech and IT comes down to their focus. Tech companies are focused on developing new technologies, while IT companies are focused on using existing technologies to support businesses.

Bard may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn’t represent Google’s views.

The original article may be found on the Analysis Logic website.