AI glossary · Generative AI and LLMs
Foundation model
A foundation model is a large AI model trained on broad data that can be adapted to many different tasks, from chat to coding to image analysis.
Also called base model, general-purpose AI model
In more detail
Instead of building a new model for every job, companies train one very large model once, then adapt it with fine-tuning, prompts or extra data. Most large language models are foundation models.
The term was popularised by Stanford researchers in 2021 to describe how one model can become the base for a whole range of products.
Related terms
Large language model (LLM)A large language model (LLM) is an AI model trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate language. It powers chatbots like ChatGPT.Pre-trainingPre-training is the first, biggest stage of training an AI model, where it learns general patterns from a huge dataset before being adapted for specific uses.Fine-tuningFine-tuning is extra training that adapts an existing AI model to a specific task, style or field, using a smaller, focused set of examples.Frontier modelA frontier model is one of the most advanced AI models available at a given time, the kind that pushes the limits of what AI can do.
Browse related tools
AI tools listed on BroUseAI in these categories.
