How does Al training work?

2/5 4/22/24, 1:26 PM Al inference vs. training: What is Al inference? | Cloudflare At its essence, Al training involves feeding Al models large data sets. Those data sets can be structured or unstructured, labeled or unlabeled. Some types of models may need specific examples of inputs and their desired outputs. Other models such as deep learning models may only need raw data. Eventually the models learn to recognize patterns or correlations, and they can then make inferences based on new inputs. As training progresses, developers may need to fine-tune the models. They have it provide some inferences right after the initial training process, then correct the outputs. Imagine an Al model has been tasked to identify the photos of dogs from a data set of pet photographs. If the model instead identifies photos of cats, it needs some tuning. How does Al compute power usage compare for inference vs. training?

Al programs extend the capabilities of computers to far beyond what they were able to do previously. But this comes at the cost of using much more processing power than traditional computer programs just as, for a person, solving a complex mathematical equation requires more focus and concentration than solving "2 + 2." Training an Al model can be very expensive in terms of compute power. But it is more or less a one-time expense. Once a model is properly trained, it ideally does not need to be trained further. Inference, however, is ongoing. If a model is actively in use, it is constantly applying its training to new data and making additional inferences. This takes quite a bit of compute power and can be very expensive. How does Cloudflare allow developers to run Al inference?

Cloudflare Workers Al offers developers access to GPUs all over the globe for running Al tasks. This pairs with Vectorize, a service for generating and storing embeddings for machine learning models. Cloudflare also offers cost-effective object storage for maintaining collections of training data R2, a zero-egress-fee storage platform. Learn more about how Cloudflare enables developers to run Al inference at the edge. 4/22/24, 1:26 PM Al inference vs. training: What is Al inference? | Cloudflare RELATED CONTENT What is artificial intelligence (Al)? What is machine learning? Large language models (LLMs) Predictive Al What is deep learning? Getting Started Free plans For enterprises Compare plans Get a recommendation Request a demo Contact sales Artificial intelligence Machine learning Big data Glossary Learning Center