AI FundamentalsLLM

Large Language Model

LLM

A Large Language Model (LLM) is a neural network with billions of parameters trained on vast text corpora. LLMs like GPT-4, Claude, and Llama understand and generate natural language, forming the basis for AI automation — from text analysis and code generation to autonomous decision-making.

Why does this matter?

LLMs automate tasks that previously required human language understanding for the first time: email classification, contract analysis, offer evaluation, customer support. For mid-sized businesses, the key is not choosing the largest model but the right one — matched to cost, privacy, and use case.

How IJONIS uses this

We evaluate cloud APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic) and open-source models (Llama, Mistral) for your specific use case. For sensitive data, we deploy on-premise LLMs with vLLM or Ollama — keeping everything in your infrastructure. Our AI consulting finds the optimal balance of performance, cost, and privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my company need its own LLM?

In most cases, no. Cloud APIs suffice for 80% of use cases. A self-hosted LLM makes sense with strict data privacy requirements, high request volumes, or when you want to fine-tune the model to your domain language.

What does it cost to use an LLM in business?

Cloud API costs are a few cents per request — a typical automation workflow costs EUR 50-500/month. On-premise hosting requires GPU servers (from approx. EUR 2,000/month) but pays for itself quickly at high volumes.

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