Choose the right model for your task. A practical guide to the latest models in UCSB AI Commons.
Understanding the model families
Expand each of the model families below to learn more.
Micro, Lite, and Pro
Think of the Nova family as your primary toolkit for general tasks.
Amazon Nova Micro: The fastest, most token-efficient model. Best for simple, high-volume tasks.
Amazon Nova Lite: The balanced workhorse for everyday professional tasks like drafting emails.
Amazon Nova Pro: A powerful multimodal model that handles complex instructions and data analysis with high accuracy.
Scout and Maverick
Meta’s latest open-weight models offer strong efficiency and logic.
Llama 4 Scout: A nimble model designed for speed and quick logical checks. It performs well above its weight class for its size.
Llama 4 Maverick: A highly capable and versatile model that excels at reasoning, following complex instructions, and general problem-solving.
Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus
The Claude family is known for nuanced understanding, safety, and sophisticated writing.
Claude 4.5 Haiku: A fast model suited to near-instant responses that still require strong reasoning.
Claude 4.6 Sonnet: Balances speed and high intelligence for a wide range of professional tasks.
Claude 4.6 Opus: The most powerful model in the lineup. Use it for complex tasks that require deep synthesis and creativity.
20B and 120B · Text only
OpenAI’s open-weight models provide strong text generation and reasoning capabilities. Both models work with text only.
OpenAI GPT-OSS 20B: A lean and efficient generalist for everyday drafting, summarizing, and quick Q&A.
OpenAI GPT-OSS 120B: Designed for multi-step analysis, complex instructions, and technical problem-solving.
Choose a starting tier
Compare the capabilities of each available model to find the best fit for your task.
| Tier | Models | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Fast & Efficient (Simple Tasks) |
| Categorizing text, simple grammar checks, translating short phrases, or generating high-volume, low-complexity content. |
| The Workhorses (Standard Tasks) |
| Drafting reports, summarizing long meetings, creating meeting agendas, and general administrative assistance. |
| High Performance (Advanced Tasks) |
| Complex coding, technical documentation, structured data extraction, and logical reasoning. |
| Frontier Intelligence (Expert Tasks) |
| Strategic planning, nuanced creative writing, high-stakes synthesis, and deep analytical “thinking.” |
Model Comparison Table
Compare the capabilities of each available model to find the best fit for your task.
| Model | Relative Cost | Long Context | Multimodal (Images) | Code Generation | Fast Responses | Advanced Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Nova Micro (Amazon Nova) | Low relative cost | Not available | Not available | Not available | Available | Not available |
| Amazon Nova Lite (Amazon Nova) | Low relative cost | Not available | Available | Not available | Available | Not available |
| Amazon Nova Pro (Amazon Nova) | Moderate relative cost | Available | Available | Available | Not available | Available |
| Llama 4 Scout (Meta) | Low relative cost | Not available | Not available | Available | Available | Not available |
| Llama 4 Maverick (Meta) | Low relative cost | Available | Not available | Available | Not available | Available |
| Claude 4.5 Haiku (Anthropic) | Moderate relative cost | Not available | Not available | Available | Available | Available |
| Claude 4.6 Sonnet (Anthropic) | High relative cost | Available | Available | Available | Not available | Available |
| Claude 4.6 Opus (Anthropic) | High relative cost | Available | Available | Available | Not available | Available |
| Qwen3 32B (Alibaba) | Low relative cost | Available | Not available | Available | Not available | Available |
| OpenAI GPT-OSS 20B (OpenAI, open-source) | Low relative cost | Not available | Not available | Available | Available | Not available |
| OpenAI GPT-OSS 120B (OpenAI, open-source) | Low relative cost | Available | Not available | Available | Not available | Available |
Which model should I use?
These common UCSB work and teaching scenarios show how task complexity translates into a model choice.
1
Drafting a Professional Email
Task
Draft a polite follow-up email to a colleague.
Recommended model
Amazon Nova Lite or Llama 4 Scout
Why
These models are quick and capable of handling standard professional tone and structure.
2
Summarizing a Research Paper
Task
Summarize a 20-page PDF into a three-paragraph summary and five bullet points.
Recommended model
Amazon Nova Pro or Claude 4.5 Haiku
Why
These models have larger context windows and stronger synthesis capabilities than Tier 1 models.
3
Writing a Python Script
Task
Write a Python script to merge data from multiple Excel files.
Recommended model
Claude 4.6 Sonnet or Llama 4 Maverick
Why
Coding requires high-level logical reasoning. Sonnet is a strong coding assistant, while Maverick provides robust open-weight logic.
4
Analyzing Survey Data
Task
Identify themes, sentiments, and actionable insights from hundreds of open-ended survey responses.
Recommended model
Claude 4.6 Opus
Why
This high-complexity task requires a nuanced understanding of human sentiment and its strategic implications.
5
Preparing Course Communications
Task
Turn a lecture outline into an announcement, three discussion prompts, and a short quiz recap.
Recommended model
OpenAI GPT-OSS 20B
Why
This is routine, high-frequency drafting. GPT-OSS 20B produces consistent instructional text with minimal overhead.
6
Building a Problem Set
Task
Create a 10-question problem set with increasing difficulty and a step-by-step worked answer key.
Recommended model
OpenAI GPT-OSS 120B
Why
Correct worked solutions require genuine multi-step reasoning. GPT-OSS 120B is designed for this kind of work.