Modalities and tool boundaries

Four input flavors

In most products the model ultimately consumes text, images, audio, or video (if enabled). Plugins, MCP, and function calls still boil down to feeding results back as one of those forms.

Implications

• Need fresh data (weather, internal docs)? Use a tool—don’t assume the model “already knows.”
• Exact math / DB queries → tools; the model interprets and orchestrates.

Check

• Which parts of your task are pure “continuation,” and which require a system?