AI Engineering versus Building LLMs for Production.
Both show up on every "best" list. They're not competitors. They're a sequence. Here's which one to read first, and when.
Reviewed by Ashish Sheth · Updated May 2026
Option B
Building LLMs for Production
Louis-François Bouchard, Louie Peters · 2024
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Author
Chip Huyen
Louis-François Bouchard, Louie Peters
Pages
532
463
Published
2025
2024
Publisher
O'Reilly Media
Towards AI
Level
intermediate
intermediate
Amazon Rating
4.4/5 (899)
4.8/5 (23)
Goodreads Rating
4.4/5 (1,061)
4.11/5 (53)
AI Engineering
Strengths
+ Clear, accessible explanations of complex AI/ML concepts
+ Practical and implementation-focused rather than theoretical
+ Well-researched with extensive references to current literature
+ Excellent for software engineers transitioning into AI development
Caveats
− Inconsistent depth: some topics feel surface-level for experienced practitioners
− Limited practical code examples
− Breadth-first approach means some topics lack deep coverage
Building LLMs for Production
Strengths
+ Clear explanations with simple analogies for complex concepts
+ Practical code examples using LangChain and LlamaIndex
+ Strong chapters on fine-tuning, quantization, and distillation
+ Endorsed by Jerry Liu (CEO of LlamaIndex) as most comprehensive LLM apps textbook
Caveats
− Title says 'Production' but lacks depth on actual hosting and serving infrastructure
− Reads more as applied research than a practical engineering guide
− Better as a reference than a cover-to-cover read
The verdict
Choose based on your specific needs: AI Engineering focuses on foundation models and the ai engineering landscape, while Building LLMs for Production emphasizes introduction to llm architectures.
AI Engineering
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Building LLMs for Production
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Frequently asked
Which is better, AI Engineering or Building LLMs for Production?
Choose based on your specific needs: AI Engineering focuses on foundation models and the ai engineering landscape, while Building LLMs for Production emphasizes introduction to llm architectures.
Is AI Engineering good for beginners?
You need some software engineering experience. It's not a learn-to-code book. But you don't need a PhD in ML either. If you can write Python and understand APIs, you'll follow along.
Is Building LLMs for Production good for beginners?
You need basic Python and some understanding of what LLMs are. It's not a first-ever AI book, but it starts from fundamentals and builds up.