How does GPT-3 work?

GPT-3 is a large language model developed by OpenAI that generates human-like text by predicting the next word or token in a sequence. It is based on the transformer architecture, a neural network design introduced in 2017 that uses self-attention mechanisms to process input data in parallel rather than sequentially. GPT-3 was trained on a massive dataset of text from books, websites, and other sources, allowing it to recognize patterns in language and produce coherent responses. The model contains 175 billion parameters—values adjusted during training—which enable it to handle a wide range of tasks, from answering questions to writing code. For example, if you input the phrase “The capital of France is,” GPT-3 predicts the next token (“Paris”) by analyzing statistical relationships learned during training.

The transformer architecture at GPT-3’s core relies on layers of self-attention and feed-forward neural networks. Each layer processes input tokens (words or subwords) by calculating attention scores, which determine how much focus to place on different parts of the input when generating output. For instance, in the sentence “She gave him the book because he needed it,” the model uses attention to link “he” and “him” to understand who “needed” the book. GPT-3’s 96 layers enable it to build complex representations of text by iteratively refining these attention patterns. Unlike earlier models like RNNs, transformers process entire sequences at once, making training faster and more efficient. Developers can interact with GPT-3 via APIs by providing a prompt, and the model generates text by sampling from probabilities assigned to each possible next token, often using techniques like temperature tuning to balance creativity and coherence.

While GPT-3 excels at many language tasks, its capabilities stem from pattern recognition rather than true understanding. It lacks reasoning or contextual awareness beyond what’s statistically present in its training data. For example, if asked to solve a math problem it hasn’t seen before, it might generate a plausible-looking but incorrect answer. The model also inherits biases from its training data, which can lead to problematic outputs if not carefully managed. Developers using GPT-3 typically mitigate these issues by refining prompts, filtering outputs, or combining the model with external systems for fact-checking. Despite limitations, GPT-3’s flexibility makes it useful for applications like chatbots, code autocompletion, or content generation, provided its outputs are validated rather than taken at face value.