Entropy → Model Tier
The smallest model that clears the quality target for a given gate's entropy budget
← already valid
Tier 0
Deterministic Rules
0 params
Perfect when input–output mapping is explicit and stable. No training cost. Fully auditable.
← trained baseline
Tier 1 · current
Tiny Specialist (Fabricate)
~213K params · ~800KB
Binary/multiclass classifiers. Local, fast, inspectable. Target for bounded gates with sufficient entropy.
Tier 2 · planned
Medium Specialist
~10× tier 1 · ~2–3M params
For gates where tiny tier misses due to higher label boundary fuzziness or longer context dependence.
Tier 3 · planned
Large Specialist
~16× tier 1 · ~3–4M params
For gates with high lexical variation, world-knowledge dependence, or complex slot interdependence.
Tier 4 · escalation
SLM / LLM
billions of params
Only when the gate is genuinely open-ended. Not a default. Escalation when specialists abstain.
simple lookup
binary classification
slot filling
complex routing
open reasoning
Current sizing hypothesis
if entropy <= A → deterministic
if entropy <= B → tiny specialist (~213K params)
if entropy <= C → medium specialist (~2–3M params)
if entropy > C → large specialist or escalate to SLM/LLM
Before moving up a tier: check schema, label set, missing context, and factorization options first.