ModelRefs / Continual Learning — AI Glossary

Continual Learning — AI Glossary

Training a model on a sequence of tasks or data distributions without catastrophic forgetting of previously acquired knowledge.

Overview

Continual learning (CL) methods—elastic weight consolidation, progressive neural networks, experience replay, LoRA-based parameter isolation—aim to incrementally update models as new data arrives. Relevant to maintaining model freshness for RAG-free knowledge updates and domain adaptation in production.

Reference details

Topictraining
Also known aslifelong learning, incremental learning
Last reviewed2026-06-24

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Frequently asked questions

What is Continual Learning?

Training a model on a sequence of tasks or data distributions without catastrophic forgetting of previously acquired knowledge.

Is Continual Learning the same as lifelong learning?

Yes — lifelong learning, incremental learning are common aliases for Continual Learning.

What concepts are related to Continual Learning?

Closely related concepts include catastrophic forgetting, domain adaptation, transfer learning.