Inference
The process of an already-trained AI model actually generating a response to your input.
01 Definition
Inference is what happens every time you send a prompt to an AI model and it produces an answer — using the patterns it learned during training to generate new output, as opposed to 'training,' which is the earlier process of teaching the model in the first place.
02 Why It Matters
Inference is what you're actually paying for with most AI tools — 'inference cost' is why heavier, larger models are usually pricier per response than smaller, faster ones.
03 Example
Every time you send ChatGPT a message and it replies, that's one inference call.