Glossary

LLM (Large Language Model)

A transformer-based text-generation model. Used in Mac Note Taker for summaries, action-item extraction, and speaker rename suggestions.

LLM is the umbrella term for transformer language models large enough to handle generic instruction-following workloads. In a meeting tool, the LLM consumes a diarized transcript and emits a structured summary, an action-item list, and topical chapters. It does not handle the audio itself; ASR has already converted the audio to text by the time the LLM sees the input.

Mac Note Taker treats the LLM as a swappable component. Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint works: local Ollama (default), OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Groq, Together, Fireworks, or a self-hosted gateway. The same prompt template and JSON output schema run against all of them without modification.

Related terms

  • OllamaA local LLM runtime for macOS, Linux, and Windows. The default backend for Mac Note Taker's on-device AI summaries.
  • OpenAI-compatible endpointAny HTTP API that mimics OpenAI's /v1/chat/completions shape, allowing one client to talk to many backends with no code change.
  • On-deviceProcessing that happens entirely on the user's hardware - no cloud, no network round-trip, no third-party data processor.
LLM (Large Language Model) - what it means on a Mac · Mac Note Taker