What 'parameters' actually mean in a local AI model
Parameters are the internal weights of a model — things like 2 billion or 4 billion parameters. The beginner shortcut is that more parameters usually means more capacity, and more capacity can help with the harder tasks. The trade-off is memory, speed, and hardware. A 2B or 4B model is the kind of thing you'd use for edge devices, phones, fast workflows, and smaller tasks. A 12B model is more of a middle ground. A 26B or 31B model is getting into stronger workstation territory. The practical advice here: don't go out and spend $5,000–$20,000 on a workstation just yet — by understanding the options, you can get meaningful things running on a phone or a spare laptop from 2021.
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