8 Types of LLMs Every GenAI Engineer Should Know for AI Agents
mdancho84 · x · 2026-08-01
The author outlines the 8 core types of Large Language Models (LLMs) that engineers need to understand when building AI Agents and Generative AI projects:
- GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer): The foundational backbone for general-purpose text understanding and generation.
- MoE (Mixture of Experts): Routes tokens to specialized 'expert' networks to scale model capacity efficiently.
- LRM (Large Reasoning Model): Tuned specifically for multi-step reasoning, RAG, and tool use.
- VLM (Vision-Language Model): Processes images and text for multimodal perception and grounding.
- SLM (Small Language Model): Compact, low-latency models designed for edge or on-device deployment.
- LAM (Large Action Model): Plans and executes actions via tools, APIs, or robot actuation.
- HLM (Hierarchical Language Model): Manages complex workflows via layered coordination (e.g., user/item/task submodels).
- LCM (Large Concept Model): Maps words to higher-level concepts for abstraction and semantic understanding.
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