A large language model, or LLM, is an AI system trained on very large amounts of text so that it can understand and generate human language. It powers many of the AI assistants, writing tools and automation features businesses now use.
How an LLM works, simply
During training, the model learns patterns in language: which words, ideas and structures tend to follow one another. When you send a prompt, it predicts a suitable continuation piece by piece, which is how it produces answers, summaries, code or translations.
What LLMs are good at
- Drafting and rewriting text in different tones
- Summarising long documents and emails
- Answering questions and explaining topics
- Extracting structured data from messy text
- Translating between languages
- Helping write and review code
Where they fall short
- They can state incorrect information confidently, often called hallucination
- Their built-in knowledge stops at a training cut-off date
- They do not know your private company data unless you provide it
- Results can vary between runs, so important outputs need checking
LLM engine versus the product built on it
The LLM is the engine. A useful business tool wraps it with your data, rules, interface and connections to other software. That surrounding system usually matters as much as the model itself.
See how we build on top of LLMs on our AI & Automation page, or contact us for a free consultation.