Who makes these systems.
THE LANDSCAPE
A small number of organisations build the largest models. Many more build products on top of them.
WHAT THIS MEANS
Many AI products are interfaces to the same underlying models.
The value is in the interface, the integration and the workflow, not necessarily the model.
WHAT TO ASK ABOUT A PRODUCT
Which model does it use? What does the product add beyond the model? What happens to my data? What happens if the underlying provider changes terms?
OPEN AND CLOSED MODELS
Some models are available to download and run yourself. Others are accessible only as a service.
Open models offer control and privacy. Hosted models are generally more capable and require no infrastructure.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU
A product built on a single provider carries that provider's risks: price changes, availability, policy shifts.
FOR MOST USERS
This matters less than whether the tool does what you need reliably.
WHERE IT MATTERS
Building something you depend on. Then the underlying dependency is worth understanding.
