What it does
Transformer Explainer is a visual teaching tool. It runs a small real AI model, GPT-2, right in your web browser. You type some text and watch how the model's inner parts process it to predict what comes next.
It was made by university researchers and is described in a research paper. It is designed so anyone can learn how the technology behind ChatGPT-like tools works, without installing anything.
Who it's for
Students, teachers and curious people who want to understand how AI language models work inside.
Can I use it without coding?
Yes. Use the live demo in a web browser; running your own copy needs developer tools. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- FreeNothing to pay or sign up for.
- Runs on
- Web browser
- Computer
- An ordinary computer is fine
- Privacy
- Runs on your own device: your data stays with you
- API key
- Not needed
Try it
- Open the live demo linked from the project page.
- Type your own text and watch how the model processes it step by step.
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (MIT): Very permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- More on staying safe
Where people are talking about it
- Transformer Explainer: Interactive Learning of Text-Generative ModelsResearch paper · Aug 2024