DECODING
THE MACHINE.
The words everybody keeps using, translated for people who have lives. Definitions are dated, sourced and revised when the industry moves the bloody goalposts again.
Frontier model
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
One of the most capable general-purpose AI systems available—or being developed—at a particular moment.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
“Frontier” is relative, changes quickly and is sometimes deployed as marketing perfume. Ask: frontier at what, measured by whom, and on which date?
READ THE FULL DECODER →02Multimodal
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
A model that can work with more than one type of information, such as text, images, audio, video or actions.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
Supporting several modes does not mean the model understands each equally well, or integrates them into one coherent inner world.
READ THE FULL DECODER →03Reasoning model
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
A model designed to spend additional computation working through a problem before it answers.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
Longer visible reasoning is not automatic proof of better reasoning—and neither is fluent explanation proof of consciousness.
READ THE FULL DECODER →04Agentic system
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
A model connected to tools, memory and permissions so it can plan and take several actions toward a goal.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
Agency-like behaviour can emerge from the whole system. Keep the base model, scaffolding, tools and human permissions separate in the evidence.
READ THE FULL DECODER →05Open-weight
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
The model’s trained numerical parameters can be downloaded and run by other people.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
Open-weight is not automatically open source. Training data, code, methods and licences may still be restricted.
READ THE FULL DECODER →06Research model
IN NORMAL HUMAN LANGUAGE
An experimental system created to test a scientific or engineering idea rather than serve as a polished retail product.
AIVY’S EYEBROW
Do not ignore it because it is not famous. Research and private systems may display important capabilities before consumer models do.
READ THE FULL DECODER →