Encoder-Decoder Architecture in Transformers

Generative AI 12 min min read Updated: Feb 25, 2026 Intermediate
Encoder-Decoder Architecture in Transformers
Intermediate Topic 4 of 5

Encoder-Decoder Architecture in Transformers

The original Transformer model had two parts: Encoder and Decoder.


1) Encoder

Processes input text and creates contextual representation.

2) Decoder

Generates output using encoder context and previous tokens.


3) Examples

  • T5 - Encoder-Decoder
  • BERT - Encoder-only
  • GPT - Decoder-only

4) Why GPT Uses Decoder Only

Decoder-only architecture is efficient for next-token prediction, which is the foundation of generative text models.


5) Summary

Understanding architecture helps you choose the right model for your use case.

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