Understanding LLMs

The foundations for understanding what language models are and how they work.

• Introduction
• What Are Large Language Models
• How They Work Without Going into Too Much Detail

From model capabilities to dialogue through prompts.

• What LLMs Can Do
• Talking to LLMs — Why Prompts Matter and How Interfaces Are Designed
• Emergent Abilities — What Models Learn on Their Own
• Beyond Questions — How to Use Prompting to Harness Emergent Abilities
• From Words to Abilities — Practical Examples of Emergent Prompting

Limits, explainability and responsibility when using artificial intelligence.

• Important Questions — What We Should Be Asking About LLMs
• The Future of LLMs — Risks and Limitations of What They Cannot and Should Not Do
• Using LLMs Wisely
• Human-Centered AI and Explainability — Trusting What You Can Understand
• Asking Models to Explain Themselves
• Practical Examples of Explainability in Action
• Myths and Reality — What LLMs Cannot Do Even When They Seem Able To
• When Overconfidence Meets Artificial Intelligence
• A Final Reflection

Practical applications and tools we encounter in everyday life.

• Real-World Examples
• Everyday Tools Quietly Powered by AI
• Opportunities and Benefits — Why LLMs Can Be Truly Useful
• Unexpected Stories from the World of Language Models

Specialisation, memory and models that also process images.

• From General to Specialized — How LLMs Learn New Skills
• LLMs as Memory Machines — Retrieving Knowledge and Human Experience
• A Whole World of Language Models — From Giants to Little Helpers
• Not Just Words — When Language Models See and Understand Images

Resources, costs and comparisons between different families of models.

• Power and Price — The Hidden Cost of Intelligence
• Comparing AI Models — Cloud Giants and Local Experts

A checklist, conclusions, glossary and resources for further study.

• Before You Ask — A Checklist for Using LLMs Wisely
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• Want to Know More — Resources to Explore