The outcome
Select a model version with evidence for output quality, latency, cost, licensing, and application fit.
Step by step
A workflow you can repeat.
- 01
Define representative inputs, expected outputs, safety cases, latency targets, budget, and a scoring rubric.
- 02
Inspect the model page, owner, README, license, input schema, examples, run history, and available version identifier.
- 03
Run the same low-risk test set with fixed parameters and record outputs, prediction time, cost, errors, and moderation needs.
- 04
Reproduce the best configuration through the API using a server-side token and an explicit version where the endpoint supports it.
- 05
Document the pinned model and version, fallback behavior, file-retention plan, and thresholds that trigger re-evaluation.
Working standard
What good use looks like.
- Trust model evidence, not popularity alone.
- Pin versions when reproducibility matters.
- Keep a task-shaped benchmark.
Official references