Skip to content

Generative AI & LLMs

Masked language model

A language AI taught to fill in missing pieces of text using the surrounding words.

Example

An AI system predicts the missing word in a sentence.

Why people use it

It learns language patterns by working out missing pieces from surrounding text.

What you'll hear

“What word fits in the blank?”

What this means for you

Choose an AI system suited to the task rather than assuming all language AI systems work alike.

Can you control it?

Developer-only

The people building or running the AI choose this setup. An everyday user generally needs their help to change how this part works.

Common questions

Can more than one piece of text be hidden?
Yes. Training can hide several pieces, depending on the method and the task being taught.
Can it use words on both sides of the gap?
Many such systems can, which helps them interpret the missing piece in background information.
Is it automatically a chatbot?
No. Learning to fill gaps does not by itself provide a complete conversational service.

Related terms

Still have questions?

Up to 500 characters.

Ask LATHIC about AI. Relevant glossary entries may be included.

Your question, the glossary entries it matches, and a rotating pseudonymous identifier go to Microsoft Azure’s OpenAI service through Vercel AI Gateway to generate an answer. Zero retention and no training are required of the provider, and LATHIC does not save your question or answer. Privacy Notice