AI & models
Inference
The moment the model actually runs to produce an answer — its 'thinking' in response to your input. It's the opposite end from training: training is the long, one-time process where the model learned, and inference is every quick run afterward when it puts that learning to use on your specific request.
Why it matters
Part of How AI actually works → Inference is what you're paying for each time you use an AI, and what burns tokens — so it's the cost that scales with how much you use it, not the one-time training bill.
see also