PrismML actually targeted the same Qwen 8b model and got it down to 1.75gb here: https://prismml.com/news/ternary-bonsai
I wonder how proprietary it all is though, since the BitNet b1.58 paper has been out for a couple years now: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.17764
From the wikipedia on 1.58 bit llms: "BitNet derives its performance from being trained natively in 1.58 bit instead of being quantized from a full-precision model after training. Still, training is an expensive process, and it would be desirable to be able to somehow convert an existing model to 1.58 bits. In 2024, HuggingFace reported a way to gradually ramp up the 1.58-bit quantization in fine-tuning an existing model down to 1.58 bits."
The section from huggingface is here: https://huggingface.co/blog/1_58_llm_extreme_quantization#fi...
I just wonder how many of these labs are basically following the huggingface recipe here and possibly tweaking it and releasing models without huge training costs.
"Neutrino-1 8B was trained natively in its shipping format. There is no full-precision product model that was rounded afterward: the ternary representation is the medium the weights learned in, and the training methods that hold this quality at this depth are the lab’s unpublished work. The findings below are the part that travels."
This statement seems misleading at best.
Both the model page and the release page are basically unintelligible - I don't have a ton of faith in the work here, at least PrismML write coherent releases for their models.
Edit: Another beautiful piece of prose here, I almost wonder if they used the 8b model to generate the content for this release...
"Across the 6.95B coded weights, 62.63% sit at zero and the remainder splits 18.68% plus to 18.69% minus: sign-balanced to a hundredth of a point with no constraint asking for it."
This isn't their model, this is (probably?) ChatGPT doing a brag / promo deck authorial voice. It routinely uses half a dozen sentence constructions that are relatively uncommon in normal or technical speech. Eccentric. Persuasive. Trying too hard. Restating its point in a promotional way that doesn't sound natural, leading into a sentence where it hyperbolically sells you on having done the impossible.
Normal persuasive speech uses these constructions, especially public speaking doing a VC pitch or an Ancient Aliens, but it would be fucking strange if a person started chaining them in normal conversation and using little else, trying to insinuate competence.
You start to recognize it pretty quickly on Youtube.
Whaaat, a 27b model might be better than 9b or 12b model? What would make you do such an outrageous claim?
Sorry for all the confusion from reading through the blogs, should be fixed in a couple of days!
I get that it’s designed to run on a CPU, big GPU or MacBook (although the way that was phrased confused me at first).
I’m struggling with what a “decoder-only” model is good for.
Containers are the proprietary binary blob in hardware world equivalent
And if it’s decent today, it’s shit in eight months! I tool hop as much as the next dev but this is a bit much.
Not using any of it is also a valid option though it doesn’t satisfy your FOMO. But nothing ever will.
Only problem was there is plenty of space on the device. PLENTY (not quite 750gb).
Blog populated with incoherent PR material generated by Yet Another AI.
Sigh...
Could use AI for both which seems hilariously appropriate.