
The Transformer model family
Since its introduction in 2017, the original Transformer model has inspired many new and exciting models that extend beyond natural language processing (NLP) tasks. There are models for predicting the folded structure of proteins, training a cheetah to run, and time series forecasting. With so many Transformer variants available, it can be easy to miss the bigger picture. What all these models have in common is they're based on the original Transformer architecture. Some models only use the encoder or decoder, while others use both. This provides a useful taxonomy to categorize and examine the high-level differences within models in the Transformer family, and it'll help you understand Transformers you haven't encountered before.
If you aren't familiar with the original Transformer model or need a refresher, check out the How do Transformers work chapter from the Hugging Face course.