Glossary
Small model
What is a small model?
A small model is a compact AI model that is cheaper and faster than a frontier model. It handles well-defined tasks such as classification, extraction and routing, often as well as a much larger model.
Also called: Small language model, SLM
Why it matters
Moving routine, high-volume work to a small model can cut its model cost several-fold, sometimes tenfold, as long as you confirm on your own cases that quality holds.
Example
A support team moves ticket routing from a frontier model to a small one after testing both on 4,000 past tickets.