Few-Shot Learning
Also known as: Few-Shot Prompting, In-Context Learning
In one sentence
Teaching an AI model by including a few examples in your prompt, without any formal training—the model learns the pattern from the examples you show.
Explain like I'm 12
Like showing someone 3 examples of what you want, and they figure out the pattern and do more just like it.
In context
Instead of fine-tuning, you include examples in your prompt: 'Translate to French: Hello -> Bonjour, Goodbye -> Au revoir, Thank you -> Merci, Good morning -> ???'
See also
Related Guides
Learn more about Few-Shot Learning in these guides:
Prompting 201: Structured Prompts & JSON Output
IntermediateAdvanced prompting: structured formats, JSON output, few-shot learning, chain-of-thought, and prompt templates for production.
11 min readFine-Tuning Fundamentals: Customizing AI Models
IntermediateFine-tuning adapts pre-trained models to your specific use case. Learn when to fine-tune, how it works, and alternatives.
8 min readPrompt Engineering Patterns: Proven Techniques
IntermediateMaster advanced prompting techniques: chain-of-thought, few-shot, role prompting, and more. Get better AI outputs with proven patterns.
8 min read