Small Language Model
Noun · AI & Machine Learning
Definitions
A language model that is smaller in parameter count and operational cost than frontier-scale models, often optimized for speed, specialization, or on-device use. Small language models are attractive when low latency and lower cost matter more than maximum generality.
In plain English: A smaller, cheaper language model often used for faster or narrower tasks.
Example: "They used a small language model for routing and classification so the expensive larger model was reserved for harder drafting tasks."