Glossary
Frontier model
A model at or near the most capable level available at a given time.
A frontier model is one of the most capable AI models available at a given moment, usually built by a small number of well-funded developers. The label is relative: today's frontier model becomes ordinary as newer systems arrive.
Governments and companies use the term to target safety rules and voluntary commitments at the most powerful systems. Definitions differ. Some rely on the amount of computing used in training, others on measured capabilities or on a list of named developers.
When a story calls a model "frontier," check who is using the word and how they define it. A company may use it as a marketing claim; a regulator may use it as a legal category with specific duties.
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