# What is Mixture of Experts - MoE?

*Artificial Intelligence · Last updated: November 4, 2026*

> Mixture of Experts

A method where a large artificial intelligence model is divided into smaller parts, each specialized in different subjects, and only the necessary ones are executed.

## Overview

Instead of running a massive AI model as a single piece, the MoE approach divides it into expert sub-models. When a question is asked, the routing mechanism selects the most appropriate expert, and only that part operates. As a result, the model responds much faster and consumes less power at the same time.

***Analogy:** It is similar to a large hospital where, instead of having every doctor examine every patient, the triage directs the patient straight to the relevant specialist, such as ophthalmology or cardiology.*

## How it works

When input data arrives at the model's gate, a gating mechanism kicks in to decide which expert network will take over the task. Only the selected expert neuron groups become active and the process is completed. Thus, high performance is achieved without expending the power of the entire model.

## Where it is used

It is widely used in today's most advanced open-weight large language models and large AI systems requiring high efficiency.

## Commonly confused with

It is confused with classic monolithic giant models. While in classic models the entire network runs for every word, in MoE systems only the relevant experts operate.

## Questions and answers

**Why are Mixture of Experts models faster?**

Because in every operation, instead of the entire model, only a small group of experts runs, which significantly reduces the computing power and time spent.

**Does it compromise on quality?**

On the contrary, because the right experts are selected, it offers a capacity that can compete with or even surpass massive monolithic models.

## Related terms

- [Mixture of Experts](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/mixture-of-experts/)
- [LLM](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/llm/)
- [Foundation Model](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/foundation-model/)
- [Inference](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/inference/)

## Related tools

- [Colibri](https://trescout.com/en/discover/colibri/)
- [FreeToken](https://trescout.com/en/discover/freetoken/)

This explanation was written in plain language for TreScout with AI and **machine-translated** from the Turkish original · the Turkish version prevails. If something looks wrong or missing, write to [hello@trescout.com](mailto:hello@trescout.com). [Read in Turkish →](https://trescout.com/dictionary/mixture-of-experts-moe/)

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Source: TreScout Dictionary · https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/mixture-of-experts-moe/