Plain-English definitions

Glossary

Useful explanations for the systems, methods, and language behind modern AI.

Aug 21, 2026

What is agentic RAG?

A practical definition of retrieval-augmented generation when the system can choose how to find and use context.

Mar 18, 2026

A model context protocol gives software a consistent way to expose tools and resources to AI systems.

Mar 11, 2026

Model routing is the practice of choosing among models based on the request, required quality, latency, or cost.

Mar 4, 2026

A tool-calling agent can select and invoke external functions as part of completing a task.

Feb 25, 2026

A context window is the amount of input and output a model can consider in one interaction.

Feb 18, 2026

A guardrail is a rule, check, or boundary that keeps an AI system within an acceptable operating range.

Feb 11, 2026

Retrieval-augmented generation gives a model relevant external information before it produces an answer.

Jan 2, 2026

New AI terms are useful when they clarify a design pattern, not when they merely make familiar work sound mysterious.