A foundation model is a generalizable AI model; it is pre-trained with immense amounts of data in such a way that it can be set up for a wide range of tasks. This is highly generalized compared to traditional models of AI, which were meant for only one use case. The foundation models can address all sorts of applications, starting from generating text and creating images to even processing audio. These large models are a backbone for the generative AI tool with a flexible base for fine-tuning on tasks or even just prompting.

A team at Stanford University views foundation models as a key part of AI’s continuing evolution because they allow the capability for generalization across tasks with minimal supervision, a step toward more autonomous AI systems. You can find more details about the academic perspective on foundation models in AI at Stanford University

Examples of Foundation Models

Some of the most well-known foundation models are GPT-3, GPT-4, BERT, and DALL-E. These models have powered applications like ChatGPT (for text-based tasks) and DALL-E (for image generation). Foundation models like PaLM and BLOOM also exist in the open-source space, offering developers more flexibility in customizing these machine learning models for their own use cases.

Large language models (LLMs), a type of foundation model, excel at tasks such as text summarization, question answering, and natural language understanding. Visual models like Florence and CLIP help bridge text and image data, making them useful for tasks like image captioning and video retrieval.

Small vs. Large Foundation Models

Foundation models come in various sizes, and directly related to the size is performance and versatility. Smaller foundation models are, of course, very powerful but generally used for fairly specific tasks, such as labeling data or generating content at a somewhat narrow scope. They require less in the way of resources and are often more available than larger ones. Larger models are more complex, requiring significant computational power and vast datasets to train. In these models appear “emerging capabilities”-that is, only when the model surpasses a certain size do such abilities manifest. For instance, large models are capable of demonstrating surprising skills, such as solving complex arithmetic or even exhibiting reasoning abilities beyond those of smaller models.

Is ChatGPT a Foundation Model?

Yes, ChatGPT is an example of a foundation model built on the GPT architecture. It is a large language model (LLM) pre-trained on diverse text data, making it capable of generating human-like text across various contexts. It would require fine-tuning in order to adapt to tasks such as customer support and creative writing, among many more. Its versatility and scale definitively make it a foundation model within the generative AI domain.