Concept record · edition 1.0.0
Tool use
What the term means here
Model-initiated invocation of external functions — search, code execution, APIs — with results returned into context.
Why it matters
Tool access frequently accounts for more measured improvement than model changes, and is often not held constant across comparisons.
Related claim records · 2
Sources used here · 2
primary paperContent verified
Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Tools
Schick et al. · 2023
Learned external tool invocation from the model side.
Source record →primary paperContent verified
ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Models
Yao et al. · 2022
The interleaved reason-and-act pattern underlying most agent loops.
Source record →