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Showing posts with the label large language model

Run LLMs in Python Effectively: Keys, Prompts, Quantization, and Context Management

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Summary : This is practical advice for building reliable LLM applications in Python. Learn secure secret handling, few-shot prompting, efficient fine-tuning (LoRA), quantization for local inference, and strategies to manage the model context window. First, view the 7-minute Intro to LLMs in Python video for explanations. Then read on. 1. Treat API keys like real secrets Never hard-code API keys in source files. Store keys in environment variables and load them at runtime. That keeps credentials out of your repository and reduces the risk of accidental leaks. Example commands: export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_key_here" # Linux / macOS set OPENAI_API_KEY="your_key_here" # Windows (Command Prompt) For production, use a secure secrets manager (Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault) and avoid committing any credential material to version control. 2. Guide models without heavy fine-tuning: few-shot prompting You can shape an LLM's behavior by giving it examples i...

5 Surprising Truths About How AI Language Models Actually Work

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Summary : Five surprising truths about how AI language models really work — from tokens and sudden, scale-driven abilities to why they sometimes "hallucinate", how you can program them with plain language, and how retrieval systems make them more reliable. Introduction If you've used tools like ChatGPT, you know how effortlessly they can write an email, generate code, or explain a concept. That ease feels close to magic. Under the surface, however, these systems run on patterns, probabilities, and careful engineering. Understanding a few core ideas will help you use them smarter and more safely. View my  LLM Concepts video below and then read on. 1. They Don’t See Words, They See Tokens When you type a sentence, you see words and spaces. A large language model (LLM) processes a sequence of tokens. Tokens are the smallest pieces the model works with — sometimes a whole word, sometimes a subword fragment. For example, “unbelievable” might be broken into subword parts...