GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale
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GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale

Michael Brenndoerfer•November 2, 2025•17 min read•4,145 words•Interactive

A comprehensive guide covering OpenAI's GPT-3 introduced in 2020. Learn how scaling to 175 billion parameters unlocked in-context learning and few-shot capabilities, the mechanism behind pattern recognition in prompts, how it eliminated the need for fine-tuning on many tasks, and its profound impact on prompt engineering and modern language model deployment.

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Reference

BIBTEXAcademic
@misc{gpt3andincontextlearningemergentcapabilitiesfromscale, author = {Michael Brenndoerfer}, title = {GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale}, year = {2025}, url = {https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale}, organization = {mbrenndoerfer.com}, note = {Accessed: 2025-11-02} }
APAAcademic
Michael Brenndoerfer (2025). GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale. Retrieved from https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale
MLAAcademic
Michael Brenndoerfer. "GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale." 2025. Web. 11/2/2025. <https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale>.
CHICAGOAcademic
Michael Brenndoerfer. "GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale." Accessed 11/2/2025. https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale.
HARVARDAcademic
Michael Brenndoerfer (2025) 'GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale'. Available at: https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale (Accessed: 11/2/2025).
SimpleBasic
Michael Brenndoerfer (2025). GPT-3 and In-Context Learning: Emergent Capabilities from Scale. https://mbrenndoerfer.com/writing/gpt3-in-context-learning-emergent-capabilities-from-scale
Michael Brenndoerfer

About the author: Michael Brenndoerfer

All opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer.

Michael currently works as an Associate Director of Data Science at EQT Partners in Singapore, where he drives AI and data initiatives across private capital investments.

With over a decade of experience spanning private equity, management consulting, and software engineering, he specializes in building and scaling analytics capabilities from the ground up. He has published research in leading AI conferences and holds expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, and value creation through data.

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