A multimodal model is an AI model that can work with more than one kind of data, such as text, images, audio or video. It can take these in, produce them, or both. For example, you could photograph a paper sign-up sheet and ask a chat tool to read the names and type them out. You could also upload a recording of a board meeting and get a written transcript back. Many tools built on a large language model now accept pictures and sound as well as typed words.
Why it matters
Photos, scanned forms and recordings can hold personal data, just as text does, and that is easy to forget. A scanned intake form may show a client’s home address and date of birth. A voice memo may name a person and describe their health. Before your staff upload files like these, give them the same care you would give a spreadsheet of contact details. Ask the vendor what happens to images and recordings after upload: how long they are kept, who can see them, and whether they are used to train the model. If the answers are unclear, keep sensitive files out of the tool.
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