Tool Use (in LLMs)
The ability of language models to invoke external tools, APIs, and functions to extend their capabilities beyond pure text generation.
How It Works
The model is given descriptions of available tools. When a query requires external capabilities, the model generates a structured tool call (function name + arguments). The system executes the tool and returns results to the model for response generation.
Common Tools
Web search, code execution (Python interpreter), calculator, database queries, file operations, API calls, image generation, and web browsing. Tool use is what transforms LLMs from text generators into capable AI agents.