MBMACHINE BRIEF
AnalysisOriginalsModelsResearchStartupsTools
Newsletter

Navigate

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Newsletter
  • Search
  • Sitemap

Content

  • Original Analysis
  • Blog
  • Glossary
  • Best Lists
  • AI Tools

Categories

  • Models
  • Research
  • Startups
  • Robotics
  • Policy
  • Business
  • Analysis
  • Originals

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
Machine Brief|

2026 Machine Brief. All rights reserved.

  1. Home
  2. /Glossary
  3. /Tool Use
Back to Glossary
ai

Tool Use

The ability of AI models to interact with external tools and systems — browsing the web, running code, querying APIs, reading files.

Definition

The ability of AI models to interact with external tools and systems — browsing the web, running code, querying APIs, reading files. Transforms language models from pure text generators into capable agents. Function calling is the technical mechanism; tool use is the practical capability it enables.

Share this term

Related Terms

Function Calling

A capability that lets language models interact with external tools and APIs by generating structured function calls.

AI Agent

An autonomous AI system that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve goals.

Autonomous AI

AI systems capable of operating independently for extended periods without human intervention.

Activation Function

A mathematical function applied to a neuron's output that introduces non-linearity into the network.

Adam Optimizer

An optimization algorithm that combines the best parts of two other methods — AdaGrad and RMSProp.

AGI

Artificial General Intelligence.

Explore More

Latest NewsAI NewsMarketsAnalysisFull Glossary

Want to learn more about AI?

Browse our complete glossary or subscribe to our newsletter for the latest AI news and insights.

Browse GlossarySubscribe to Newsletter