Tool / Function Calling
TL;DR
AI can invoke external tools and APIs to complete tasks.
What does this mean?
Function calling enables LLMs to do more than generate text — they can trigger structured actions such as querying a database, sending an email, or performing a calculation.
How it works
The model receives a list of available functions with descriptions. Based on the user’s request, it decides which function to call with which parameters.
Example
An AI assistant that, when asked “What’s the status of my order?”, automatically calls the order API and returns the response.
Why it matters
Function calling transforms LLMs from pure text generators into action-capable systems that can interact with real business processes.