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Chapter 1: Introduction to AI Agents and Language Models

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Chapter 1: Introduction to AI Agents and Language Models 관련

How AI Agents Can Help Supercharge Language Models – A Handbook for Developers

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in a powerful synergy between large language models (LLMs) and AI agents. This dynamic interplay is sort of like the tale of David and Goliath (without the fighting), where nimble AI ag...

How AI Agents Can Help Supercharge Language Models – A Handbook for Developers
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in a powerful synergy between large language models (LLMs) and AI agents. This dynamic interplay is sort of like the tale of David and Goliath (without the fighting), where nimble AI ag...

What Are AI Agents and Large Language Models?

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought forth a transformative synergy between large language models (LLMs) and AI agents.

AI agents are autonomous systemsopen in new window designed to perceive their environment, make decisions, and execute actions to achieve specific goals. They exhibit characteristics such as autonomy, perception, reactivity, reasoning, decision-making, learning, communication, and goal-orientation.

On the other hand, LLMs are sophisticated AI systems that utilize deep learning techniques and vast datasets to understand, generate, and predict human-like text.

These models, such as GPT-4, Mistral, LLama, have demonstrated remarkable capabilitiesopen in new window in natural language processing tasks, including text generation, language translation, and conversational agents.


Key Characteristics of AI Agents

AI agents possess several defining features that set them apart from traditional software:

  1. Autonomy: They can operate independently without constant human intervention.
  2. Perception: Agents can sense and interpret their environment through various inputs.
  3. Reactivity: They respond dynamically to changes in their environment.
  4. Reasoning and Decision-making: Agents can analyze data and make informed choices.
  5. Learning: They improve their performance over time through experience.
  6. Communication: Agents can interact with other agents or humans using various methods.
  7. Goal-orientation: They are designed to achieve specific objectives.

Capabilities of Large Language Models

LLMs have demonstrated a wide range of capabilities, including:

  1. Text Generation: LLMs can produce coherent and contextually relevant text based on prompts.
  2. Language Translation: They can translate text between different languages with high accuracy.
  3. Summarization: LLMs can condense long texts into concise summaries while retaining key information.
  4. Question Answering: They can provide accurate responses to queries based on their vast knowledge base.
  5. Sentiment Analysis: LLMs can analyze and determine the sentiment expressed in a given text.
  6. Code Generation: They can generate code snippets or entire functions based on natural language descriptions.

Levels of AI Agents

AI agents can be classified into different levels based on their capabilities and complexity. According to a paper on arXiv, AI agents are categorized into five levels:

  1. Level 1 (L1): AI agents as research assistants, where scientists set hypotheses and specify tasks to achieve objectives.
  2. Level 2 (L2): AI agents that can autonomously perform specific tasks within a defined scope, such as data analysis or simple decision-making.
  3. Level 3 (L3): AI agents capable of learning from experience and adapting to new situations, enhancing their decision-making processes.
  4. Level 4 (L4): AI agents with advanced reasoning and problem-solving abilities, capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks.
  5. Level 5 (L5): Fully autonomous AI agents that can operate independently in dynamic environments, making decisions and taking actions without human intervention.

Limitations of Large Language Models

Training Costs and Resource Constraints

Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-3 and PaLM have revolutionized natural language processing (NLP) by leveraging deep learning techniques and vast datasets.

But these advancements come at a significant cost. Training LLMs requires substantial computational resources, often involving thousands of GPUs and extensive energy consumption.

According to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the training cost for GPT-4open in new window exceeded $100 million. This aligns with the model's reported scale and complexity, with estimates suggesting it has around 1 trillion parameters. However, other sources offer different figures:

  1. A leaked report indicated that GPT-4's training costs were approximately $63 millionopen in new window, considering the computational power and training duration.
  2. As of mid-2023, some estimates suggested that training a modelopen in new window similar to GPT-4 could cost around $20 million and take about 55 days, reflecting advancements in efficiency.

This high cost of training and maintaining LLMs limits their widespread adoption and scalability.

Data Limitations and Bias

The performance of LLMs is heavily dependent on the quality and diversity of the training data. Despite being trained on massive datasets, LLMs can still exhibit biases present in the data, leading to skewed or inappropriate outputs. These biases can manifest in various formsopen in new window, including gender, racial, and cultural biases, which can perpetuate stereotypes and misinformation.

Also, the static nature of the training data means that LLMs may not be up-to-date with the latest information, limiting their effectiveness in dynamic environments.

Specialization and Complexity

While LLMs excel in general tasks, they often struggle with specialized tasks that require domain-specific knowledge and high-level complexity.

For example, tasks in fields such as medicine, law, and scientific research demand a deep understanding of specialized terminology and nuanced reasoning, which LLMs may not possess inherently. This limitation necessitates the integration of additional layers of expertise and fine-tuning to make LLMs effective in specialized applications.

Input and Sensory Limitations

LLMs primarily process text-based inputs, which restricts their ability to interact with the world in a multimodal manner. While they can generate and understand text, they lack the capability to process visual, auditory, or sensory inputs directly.

This limitation hinders their application in fields that require comprehensive sensory integration, such as robotics and autonomous systems. For instance, an LLM cannot interpret visual data from a camera or auditory data from a microphone without additional processing layers.

Communication and Interaction Constraints

The current communication capabilities of LLMs are predominantly text-based, which limits their ability to engage in more immersive and interactive forms of communication.

For example, while LLMs can generate text responses, they cannot produce video content or holographic representations, which are increasingly important in virtual and augmented reality applications (read more hereopen in new window). This constraint reduces the effectiveness of LLMs in environments that demand rich, multimodal interactions.


How to Overcome Limitations with AI Agents

AI agents offer a promising solution to many of the limitations faced by LLMs. These agents are designed to operate autonomously, perceive their environment, make decisions, and execute actions to achieve specific goals. By integrating AI agents with LLMs, it is possible to enhance their capabilities and address their inherent limitations.

  1. Enhanced Context and Memory: AI agents can maintain contextopen in new window over multiple interactions, allowing for more coherent and contextually relevant responses. This capability is particularly useful in applications that require long-term memory and continuity, such as customer service and personal assistants.
  2. Multimodal Integration: AI agents can incorporate sensory inputs from various sourcesopen in new window, such as cameras, microphones, and sensors, enabling LLMs to process and respond to visual, auditory, and sensory data. This integration is crucial for applications in robotics and autonomous systems.
  3. Specialized Knowledge and Expertise: AI agents can be fine-tuned with domain-specific knowledge, enhancing the ability of LLMs to perform specialized tasks. This approach allows for the creation of expert systems that can handle complex queries in fields such as medicine, law, and scientific research.
  4. Interactive and Immersive Communication: AI agents can facilitate more immersive forms of communication by generating video content, controlling holographic displays, and interacting with virtual and augmented reality environments. This capability expands the application of LLMs in fields that require rich, multimodal interactions.

While large language models have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in natural language processing, they are not without limitations. The high costs of training, data biases, specialization challenges, sensory limitations, and communication constraints present significant hurdles.

But the integration of AI agents offers a viable pathway to overcoming these limitations. By leveraging the strengths of AI agents, it is possible to enhance the functionality, adaptability, and applicability of LLMs, paving the way for more advanced and versatile AI systems.


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