Glossary
Foundation model
A large, general model trained on broad data that can be adapted to many different tasks.
A foundation model is a large AI model trained on broad data so that it can serve as a base for many uses, from chat and coding to image analysis or scientific prediction. Large language models are the best-known kind, but the term also covers models for images, audio, biology, weather, and robotics.
The term matters in news and policy because laws and company announcements often treat the general model differently from the specific product built on it. A hospital tool, for example, may be built on a foundation model but tested and regulated as a separate product.
A foundation model's general abilities do not show that a product built on it works well for a particular job. That needs its own testing.