A handy reference guide to the most common acronyms you will encounter in the world of Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models, and related technologies.
Core AI Terms
AI – Artificial Intelligence: The broad field focused on creating machines that can simulate human intelligence.
ML – Machine Learning: A subset of AI where machines learn patterns and improve over time without being explicitly programmed.
DL – Deep Learning: A more complex form of machine learning that uses layered neural networks, often responsible for the most advanced AI models.
LLM – Large Language Model: A type of AI trained on vast amounts of text to generate human-like language. GPT is a well-known LLM.
NLP – Natural Language Processing: The ability of a computer to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
NLU – Natural Language Understanding: A branch of NLP that focuses specifically on understanding the meaning and intent behind language.
AGI – Artificial General Intelligence: A theoretical AI that can perform any intellectual task a human can. Not yet achieved.
RLHF – Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback: A training method used to fine-tune LLMs by incorporating human judgments into machine learning.
Technology and Access Terms
GPT – Generative Pre-trained Transformer: A model architecture for LLMs designed to generate human-like language.
API – Application Programming Interface: A set of protocols that allows different software tools to interact with each other.
UI – User Interface: The visual part of a software application that users interact with.
UX – User Experience: The overall experience a user has with a product, including ease of use and emotional impact.
OSS – Open Source Software: Software whose source code is freely available for anyone to view, use, and modify.
Hardware and Infrastructure
GPU – Graphics Processing Unit: Highly efficient processors originally for graphics, now used in parallel computing tasks like deep learning.
TPU – Tensor Processing Unit: Google’s custom-built processor specifically for AI and machine learning workloads.
RAM – Random Access Memory: A type of computer memory that allows data to be read or written in almost the same amount of time irrespective of its location.
Bonus Terms
TLA – Three-Letter Acronym: A humorous term for the very thing this list represents. Also includes 2-letter and 4-letter variants.
FLA – Four-Letter Acronym: An expansion of the TLA, common when three letters just will not do.
Final Note
The world of AI can be acronym-heavy, but understanding these terms puts the power back in your hands. Refer to this glossary whenever a term throws you off balance. And remember—no acronym is smarter than the person willing to ask, "What does that mean?"
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