Small Language Model (SLM)
A compact AI language model with far fewer parameters than flagship models — faster and cheaper, but less broadly capable.
01 Definition
A small language model has a much smaller parameter count than large flagship models, trading some general capability for speed, lower cost, and the ability to run on modest hardware (even a phone) instead of requiring massive cloud infrastructure.
02 Why It Matters
SLMs are why some AI features can run instantly on your device without an internet connection — they're the right tool when speed and cost matter more than handling every possible edge case.
03 Example
A phone's on-device AI features often use a small language model rather than calling a huge cloud-based one.