What is a 1-Bit LLM?

A 1-bit Large Language Model (LLM) is a type of neural network model used for processing natural language data. It’s called “1-bit” because it uses a quantization process that reduces the precision of the model’s parameters to just three possible values: -1, 0, or 1. This approach significantly reduces the model’s size and computational requirements, making it more cost-effective in terms of latency, memory, throughput, and energy consumption, while still maintaining performance comparable to full-precision models.

An example of a 1-bit LLM is the BitNet b1.58, which is a variant where every single parameter of the LLM is ternary, meaning it can only take the values {-1, 0, 1}. This model matches the performance of full-precision Transformer LLMs in terms of perplexity and end-task performance, while being more cost-effective in terms of latency, memory, throughput, and energy consumption1. It’s a step towards more efficient and environmentally friendly AI models.

The BitNet b1.58 Model

BitNet b1.58 model is a part of the recent advancements in the field, aiming to create more efficient AI models without compromising performance.

In traditional LLMs, parameters are often stored in 16-bit precision formats like FP16 or BF16, allowing for a wide range of values. However, BitNet b1.58 reduces the precision of each…