Inference

Inference is the moment an artificial intelligence (AI) model is actually used: you give it an input and it produces an answer, drawing on what it learned during training. Training is the years of study; inference is sitting the exam and answering the question in front of you.

It is like a trained musician sight-reading a new piece: the practice is done, and now they simply play. Inference matters because it is what you pay for every time the tool runs, so its speed and cost per answer directly shape whether using AI at scale makes business sense.