AIGC — Introduction to “Large AI Models”

What is a Large AI model?

Over the previous year, terms like ‘large models’, ‘AI models’, ‘generative AI’, ‘AIGC’, and ‘generative AI large models’ have frequently been mentioned. It seems as though machines have suddenly been granted intelligence as if by magic.

Now, they’ve mastered arts like poetry and painting, leading some to speculate that they might soon dominate and control humans. Technically, there’s no term called ‘large AI model.’ Still, due to its widespread use, the term has firmly cemented itself in popular discourse. While it’s not imperative to correct this, from a technical standpoint, I feel it’s worth noting that the term ‘large model’ doesn’t have a precise academic classification.

In academic circles, the more commonly used term is ‘foundation model’ or ‘base model.’ In August 2021, a research report spanning over 200 pages titled ‘On the Opportunities and Risks of Foundation Models’ has been published.

In this report, AI experts discussed the current opportunities and challenges faced by such models. They consistently referred to these large models as ‘Foundation Models.’