Capital Code Academy V2 – Public Learning Edition • Begin AI Essentials
Technology explained

Token

A piece of text processed by a language model, which may be a word, part of a word or punctuation.

In plain language

A piece of text processed by a language model, which may be a word, part of a word or punctuation. The most useful way to understand this concept is to connect it to a real problem rather than memorising a definition.

Why it matters

Token influences how modern digital systems are designed, used or evaluated. Learners should understand its purpose, limitations and relationship to other technologies.

Simple example

Imagine a learner or organisation trying to make a digital service faster, safer or easier to use. Token may be one part of the system that helps information move, decisions happen or results become more relevant.

Questions to ask

  • What problem does it solve?
  • What input does it need?
  • What can go wrong?
  • How should a human verify the result?
Continue learning: Explore the course catalogue for a guided lesson and practical activity related to Token.