LLM APIs in Production
AI engineers don't train models from scratch for every task — they call pre-trained models via APIs. Understanding how to call these APIs reliably, handle errors, and parse responses is a core skill.
Error Handling Patterns
- Retry with exponential backoff on rate limits (429)
- Circuit breaker pattern for sustained failures
- Timeout configuration to prevent hanging requests
- Fallback responses when the API is unavailable
Key Takeaway
Production AI systems must handle API failures gracefully. Never assume the LLM API will always respond quickly and correctly.