Beta

Beta is a stage where a product still being refined is released early, before its official launch. Alpha (internal testing) comes first, then beta (external testing) — a long-standing software industry convention borrowed from the order of Greek letters.

There's a reason you see this term so often in AI news: the very idea of a "finished" AI product is fuzzy, so it's become standard practice to open things up as a beta and refine them based on user feedback. A "limited beta" means only a small group gets access, via lottery or waitlist; a "public beta" means anyone can join; "early access" means much the same thing.

How to read it: a "beta release" story means both "you can try it now" and "it might still be unstable." It's also common to see stories debating paid products that keep the beta label for a suspiciously long time.