Demystifying Encoder-Decoder Models: From Transformers to Chatbots

Hey there, fellow language enthusiasts! Have you ever wondered how those AI-powered chatbots manage to understand and respond to our queries so effortlessly? Well, let’s delve into the fascinating world of encoder-decoder models, where the magic happens! In this article, we’ll explore the three amigos of natural language processing: encoder-only models, encoder-decoder models, and decoder-only models. Don’t worry if you’re not a tech whiz — we’ll keep it casual, friendly, and jargon-free. So, grab your cup of coffee and get ready to unravel the secrets behind these language geniuses!

Encoder-Only Models:

Alright, let’s start with the encoder-only models. Picture this: you have a massive chunk of text, and you want to understand its meaning. Enter the encoder! This clever algorithm takes your text and transforms it into a more digestible format. How? By breaking it down into smaller chunks called “tokens.” Each token carries information about a specific word or part of a word. Think of it as building blocks that the encoder can work with.

Now, let’s bring an example to the table. Say we want to encode the sentence “I love cats and dogs.” The encoder would break it down into tokens like “I,” “love,” “cats,” “and,” and “dogs.” It would then convert each token into a…