Connecting the Dots of the AI Model–Framework–Platform Triangle

Ever wondered where tools like LangChain, CrewAI, or LlamaIndex really fit in the AI ecosystem? Is CrewAI an AI framework or an agentic framework? Are OpenAI’s Python SDK, Agent SDK, and Agent Kit the same thing, or do they serve different purposes? If you have your own fine-tuned model, will Google Vertex AI host it for you, or do you need a different platform altogether? The world of modern AI is full of overlapping terms, rapidly evolving tools, and blurred boundaries that can confuse even seasoned practitioners. In this article, we will cut through the noise and connect the dots between AI model families, AI frameworks, and deployment platforms. By the end, you will have a clear mental map of how these layers work together and where today’s most popular tools and technologies actually belong.

Relationship between models, frameworks and deployment platforms

Table of Contents

• AI Model
  • Family of Models
  • Memory and Knowledge
  • Tools and Plugins
  • Safety and Alignment
• AI Frameworks
  • Agentic Frameworks
  • Wrappers
• Deployment Platforms
  • Deployment at Model Hosting Platforms
  • AI Oriented Hosting and Experiment Platforms
  • AI Model API Service Platforms

AI Model

An AI model is the core computational engine of an artificial intelligence system. It’s an algorithm that has been “trained” on vast amounts of data to recognize patterns, make predictions, or generate new content. Think of it as a highly complex digital brain, with its architecture (like a neural network) and parameters (its learned “weights” or knowledge) defining its specific capabilities, such as understanding language, identifying images, or composing music.

Example of AI Models

Family of Models

AI models are not one-size-fits-all; they belong to diverse families based on their function and design. Classes include text-to-text (like Llama 3 for translation or summarization), text-to-image (like Midjourney for creative visuals), and text-to-speech (for generating natural-sounding audio). A key distinction is between low-reasoning models, which excel at fast pattern-matching, and high-reasoning models, which use step-by-step logic to solve complex problems. This capability is often linked to the number of parameters, from billions to trillions, which influences the model’s capacity for creativity, nuance, and handling multimodal tasks (processing text, images, and audio simultaneously, like Gemini).

Family of AI Models

Memory and Knowledge

An AI model’s “knowledge” comes from two primary sources. First is parametric memory, which is all the information learned from its training data and stored directly within its millions or billions of parameters (weights). This knowledge is fast to access but is static and frozen at the time of training. The second source is non-parametric memory (or external knowledge), where the model retrieves information in real-time from an outside database, document, or the internet. This approach, often called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), allows the model to access up-to-the-minute, factual information and reduces hallucinations.

RAG Framework

Tools and Plugins

Tools and plugins are extensions that give an AI model “arms and legs” to interact with the outside world. By default, a model can only process and generate text. However, with tools, it can perform actions. For example, a plugin could allow a chatbot to access a weather API for a real-time forecast, use a calculator for precise math, run code to test a hypothesis, or connect to a booking system to schedule a flight. Tools like web browsing (e.g., in Perplexity AI) or code interpreters are common examples that dramatically expand a model’s practical utility beyond its static knowledge.

Example of Tools

Safety and Alignment

This critical field ensures models are helpful, honest, and harmless. Alignment is the process of training a model to adhere to human values and ethical principles, often using techniques like Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF). Bias Mitigation is a key part of this, involving training on diverse, representative data and auditing model responses to prevent unfair or prejudiced outcomes. Guardrails are the practical safeguards applied during deployment. These are real-time filters and rules that block harmful outputs, enforce topic restrictions (e.g., no medical advice), and ensure the AI behaves appropriately in a live environment.

An agentic flow diagram with guardrails

AI Frameworks

AI frameworks provide the essential tools and abstractions to build powerful applications using large language models. They are crucial for managing orchestration logic, which means deciding what to do, when to do it, and in what order. These frameworks also handle memory, going beyond the short term, and manage the various tools an AI can use. Good examples include popular systems like LangChain and LlamaIndex. You might also see Retrieval Augmented Generation or RAG specific frameworks. Another example is a Haystack NLP pipeline which is often used for search and question answering.

Functions of an AI Framework

Agentic Frameworks

Agentic frameworks represent an evolution in AI application design. They shift from simple rule based orchestration to a more dynamic orchestration and negotiation. This change enables advanced goal driven reasoning and greater autonomy for the AI. The system can operate on its own using feedback loops to understand its progress and adapt.

Agentic Framework vs AI Framework

Popular examples of these frameworks include LangGraph, Crew AI, and Autogen. There are also new tools emerging in this space like Agent Kit from OpenAI and Google’s no code platform Opal.

Wrappers

A wrapper is a simpler concept compared to a framework. A good example to understand this is the OpenAI Python SDK which is a wrapper. In contrast, the Agent SDK is a full agentic or AI framework. A wrapper simply wraps around a model or an API to make it much easier for a developer to interact with. Its main job is to hide complexity. This means the developer doesn’t need to know all the detailed and complicated parts of the underlying system to make it work for a simple task.

Deployment Platforms

Deployment platforms are essential for bringing artificial intelligence models to life and making them accessible for real world applications. These platforms provide the necessary infrastructure and tools to take a trained model and integrate it into a larger system. They manage the complexities of serving models at scale ensuring that the AI can respond quickly and reliably to requests. Without robust deployment platforms even the most advanced AI models would remain confined to development environments unable to provide their full value.

Deployment at Model Hosting Platforms

Model hosting platforms specialize in converting trained artificial intelligence models into usable API endpoints. This means your model can be accessed and utilized by other applications over the internet. These platforms handle the crucial aspects of GPU or TPU management ensuring your model has the computational power it needs. They also offer autoscaling features to adapt to varying demand and robust version control to manage updates. Monitoring and cost management are often included providing insights into performance and expenses. Examples include Hugging Face Inference Endpoints, Replicate, and Banana.dev.

AI Oriented Hosting and Experiment Platforms

AI oriented hosting and experiment platforms offer a comprehensive environment for not just hosting models but also for the entire machine learning lifecycle. These platforms are incredibly valuable for tasks like fine tuning models to specific datasets and performing thorough evaluations of their performance. They provide robust dataset management and visualization tools making it easier to work with large amounts of data. Collaborative workflows are often a core feature allowing teams to work together seamlessly. Popular examples in this category include Weights & Biases, Comet ML, and the Hugging Face Hub.

Model Hosting vs Experimenting Platforms

AI Model API Service Platforms

AI Model API service platforms provide access to pre-trained artificial intelligence models through a simple API. The key difference here is that you cannot host your own models on these platforms. You are using models that are owned and managed by the service provider. This also means you typically cannot fine tune these models to your specific data because you do not have ownership or direct control over the underlying model. These platforms are perfect for quickly integrating powerful AI capabilities without needing to train or host your own models. Examples include the OpenAI API and Google Vertex AI.

Way Forward

The AI landscape may seem complex, but every concept you’ve just explored, models, frameworks, and platforms forms a stepping stone toward mastery. Start small and experiment with a framework like LangChain, deploy a model on Hugging Face, or visualize results on Weights & Biases. The best way to connect the dots is through hands-on exploration. With curiosity as your guide, you’ll soon see how these layers unite to power the next generation of intelligent systems.

References

• OpenAI Models
• LangGraph Documentation
• Hugging Face Inference Endpoints Document