Putting small language models under the microscope

We’ve spent the past few years discussing large language models, the huge AI models that power a lot of the generative AI tools that have dominated the headlines.

But small language models are also possible – and rapidly growing in popularity.

What benefits do these tiny AI models offer, and how much use will they get in the coming months and years, and how do they differ from other lightweight, ‘low latency’ models?

In this episode, Jane and Rory take a look at some of the smallest AI models on the market, asking what they're for and if they could be the future of the technology.

Read more:

Small language models are growing in popularity — but they have a “hidden fallacy” that enterprises must come to terms withSmall language models set for take-off next yearGoogle’s new ‘Gemma’ AI models show that bigger isn’t always betterMicrosoft wants to take the hassle out of AI development with its ‘Models as a Service’ offeringThree open source large language models you can use todayChinese AI firm DeepSeek has Silicon Valley flustered

The ITPro Podcast

The ITPro Podcast is a weekly show for technology professionals and business leaders. Each week hosts Rory Bathgate and Jane McCallion are joined by an expert guest to take a deep dive into the most important issues for the IT community. New episodes premiere every Friday. Visit itpro.com/uk/the-it-pro-podcast for more information, or follow ITPro on LinkedIn for regular updates.

• No. of episodes: 300
• Latest episode: 2025-05-16
• Business Technology

Where can you listen?