LLM Intro
LLM Intro
• About LLM
• Conclusion: State-of-the-Art
Considerations and the Path Forward
• References
In the present era, large language models (LLMs) have emerged as attention mechanism, a fundamental building block that redefined
transformative tools, unraveling the complexities of natural language how models understand and process contextual information in vast
understanding and paving the way for modern applications. Offering an amounts of text, catalyzing a paradigm shift in language representation
introduction and practical insights on how to navigate the intricacies of and comprehension.
harnessing LLMs, this Refcard serves as a comprehensive guide for both
TR ANSFORMER ARCHITECTURE
novices and seasoned practitioners seeking to unlock the capabilities
As mentioned, LLMs are built on transformer architectures [7]
.
of these powerful language models.
Transformers enable a model to efficiently process and understand
The primary purpose of this Refcard is to provide an end-to-end sequential data well-suited for natural language processing tasks.
understanding of LLM architecture, training methodologies, as well Comprising two fundamental components, the transformer
as applications of advanced artificial intelligence models in natural architecture includes an encoder and a decoder. The encoder processes
language processing. The key goals include elucidating the theoretical a sequence of input tokens, generating a corresponding sequence of
foundations of LLMs, detailing their training processes, exploring hidden states. Subsequently, the decoder utilizes these hidden states
practical applications across various domains, and discussing to generate a sequence of output tokens.
challenges and future directions in the field.
ABOUT LLM
A large language model (LLM) is a powerful artificial intelligence
model designed to understand and generate human-like text based on
vast amounts of data. These models belong to the broader category of
natural language processing (NLP) in the even larger realm of machine
learning. LLMs use deep neural networks with numerous parameters to
learn patterns, relationships, and contextual information from diverse
textual data sources.
THE GENESIS
The genesis of large language models (LLMs) can be traced back to
the revolutionary transformer architecture, a pivotal breakthrough in
natural language processing. At the heart of this innovation lies the
Learn More Ideal for solo developers, teams, and cross-company projects
Workflow
The Pieces Copilot runs at the Pieces is one of the first to offer
Pieces is a tool-between-tools
operating system-level, using the fully functional LLM integrations
connecting the three main pillars of
power of retrieval augmented across macOS, Linux, and Windows,
a developers workflow
generation to learn from your entire giving users the option to leverage
Researching and problem solving in
workflow and make contextualized their choice of cloud, local, or
the browser, coding in the I}|, and
suggestions. custom LLMs.
collaborating with teammates.
Tracking
Our intelligent storage agent Pieces processes data on-device
The Pieces Copilot runs at the
automatically attaches useful for air-gapped security and privacy.
operating system-level, using the
context and metadata to the code All AI capabilities can run entirely
power of retrieval augmented
snippets and screenshots you save, local or in the cloud, depending on
generation to learn from your entire
enabling better organization, operational constraints.
workflow and make contextualized
searchability, and reusability.
suggestions.
“Everyone's got a copilot. You're inverted, Pieces minimizes context switching, accelerates
you've rotated the whole thing. It's not a onboarding, and significantly elevates the overall
vertical copilot, it's a horizontal one.” development experience while maintaining the
This mechanism allows the model to focus on different parts of the Education Automated grading, content creation
input sequence when making predictions and captures long-range
Customer service Chatbots, automated email responses
dependencies within the data. The attention mechanism is particularly
powerful for tasks such as language understanding, translation, Technology Code generation, bug detection
summarization, and more. It enhances the model's ability to generate Media and Content summarization, script writing
coherent and contextually relevant responses by enabling it to weigh entertainment
the importance of each input token dynamically. Human resources Resume screening, employee feedback analysis
Table 1: Key components of the attention mechanism Manufacturing Quality control, supply chain optimization
Value The output produced by the attention mechanism, Transformers, this segment unveils key concepts.
representing the weighted sum of values based on
the computed attention scores. Additionally, this section navigates through the significance of vector
databases, the artistry of prompt design and engineering, and the
REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS OF LLMS orchestration and agents responsible for the functionality of LLMs. The
From natural language understanding to innovative problem-solving, discussion extends to the realm of local LLMs (LLLMs) and innovative
LLMs play a pivotal role across various domains, shaping the landscape Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) techniques, providing a comprehensive
of practical applications and technological advancements. overview of the foundational elements that underpin the effectiveness
and versatility of contemporary language models.
WHY LLMS MATTER
LLMs excel at understanding and generating human-like text, enabling THE FOUNDATION MODEL AND RETRIEVAL-
AUGMENTED GENERATION (RAG)
more sophisticated interactions between machines and humans. LLMs
The foundation model refers to the pre-trained language model that
can automate numerous language-related tasks, saving time and
serves as the basis for further adjustments or customization. These
resources. In industries such as customer support, content generation,
models are pre-trained on diverse and extensive datasets to understand
and data analysis, LLMs contribute to increased efficiency by handling
the nuances of language and are then fine-tuned for specific tasks or
routine language-based functions. LLMs enable the development
applications.
of innovative applications and services, including chatbots, virtual
Figure 2: Foundation model Unlike conventional scalar-based databases that organize data in rows or
columns, relying on exact matching or keyword-based search methods,
vector databases operate differently. They leverage techniques like
Approximate Nearest Neighbors (ANN) to rapidly search and compare
a substantial collection of vectors within an extremely short timeframe.
process by incorporating context or information retrieved from Supporting a wide Vector databases effectively address the
external sources. range of search challenge of accommodating diverse search
options options across a complex information source
RAG is particularly useful in scenarios where access to a vast amount with multiple attributes and use cases.
of external knowledge is beneficial for generating more accurate and
contextually relevant responses. This approach has applications in tasks Some of the leading open-source vector databases are Chroma [10,17],
such as question answering, content creation, and dialogue systems. Milvus [13], and Weaviate [23].
PROMPTING
MODUS OPERANDI
TECHNIQUES
ORCHESTRATION AND AGENTS that intelligent agents, powered by these models, can autonomously
Orchestration frameworks play a crucial role in constructing AI-driven contribute to various aspects of application development. This
applications based on enterprise data. They prove invaluable collaboration enhances the linguistic capabilities of applications,
in eliminating the necessity for retraining foundational models, making them more adaptive, responsive, and effective in handling
surmounting token limits, establishing connections to data sources, natural language interactions and processing tasks.
and minimizing the inclusion of boilerplate code. These frameworks
typically offer connectors catering to a diverse array of data sources, AutoGen [5, 15] stands out as an open-source framework empowering
ranging from databases to cloud storage and APIs, facilitating the developers to construct LLM applications through the collaboration
seamless integration of data pipelines with the required sources. of multiple agents capable of conversing and collaborating to achieve
tasks. The agents within AutoGen are not only customizable and
In the development of applications involving LLMs, orchestration and conversable but also adaptable to various modes that incorporate
agents play integral roles in managing the complexity of language a mix of LLMs, human inputs, and tools. This framework enables
processing, ensuring coordinated execution, and enhancing the overall developers to define agent interaction behaviors with flexibility,
efficiency of the system. allowing the utilization of both natural language and computer code
to program dynamic conversation patterns tailored to different
Table 5: Roles of orchestration and agents
applications. As a versatile infrastructure, AutoGen serves as a
specific software. Furthermore, enterprise LLMs may play a pivotal 3. Training the model: Using the prepared data to train the
role in innovating and designing cutting-edge applications to secure a selected model architecture, adjusting parameters to optimize
competitive advantage. performance and achieve desired learning outcomes.
The merits of employing pre-trained LLMs encompass ongoing intended environment for real-world use, and continuously
performance enhancements and the capacity to adeptly handle a refining and updating it based on user feedback and evolving
Open-source LLMs, on the other hand, provide users with the ability
to train and fine-tune the model to align with specific requirements.
The complete code and structure of these LLMs are publicly
accessible, offering increased flexibility and customization options.
Noteworthy examples of open-source LLMs encompass Google
PaLM 2, LLaMA 2 (released by Meta), and Falcon 180B (developed
by Technology Innovation Institute). While open-source LLMs
necessitate a higher level of technical proficiency and computational
resources for training, they afford users greater control over data,
model architecture, and enhanced privacy. Collaboration among
developers is encouraged, fostering innovative training approaches
and the creation of novel applications.
Figure 4: Enterprise LLMs This comprehensive approach facilitates the development of a tailored
and effective custom LLM for diverse applications.
PITFALLS OF LLM
While LLMs have demonstrated impressive capabilities, they are not
without their pitfalls. LLMs can inherit and perpetuate biases present
in their training data, leading to biased outputs. This can result in unfair
or discriminatory language, reflecting societal biases present in the
BUILDING A CUSTOM LLM data. The use of LLMs for content generation raises ethical concerns,
The development of a custom LLM involves a systematic process that particularly in cases where generated content could be misused, for
includes several key steps: example, in creating fake news or misinformation. The generation
of content by LLMs can raise legal and privacy concerns, especially
1. Data collection and preprocessing: Gathering relevant and
when it comes to issues like intellectual property, plagiarism, or the
representative data, and preparing it for model training by
inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information.
cleaning, organizing, and transforming it as needed.
and record matching, paving the way for a paradigm shift in how • Macaw-LLM [2, 21] is a groundbreaking innovation that seamlessly
businesses leverage the immense potential of LLMs. Building on top integrates visual, audio, and textual information. Comprising
of these language models involves tailoring their functionalities to a modality module for encoding multimodal data, a cognitive
specific business requirements, customizing their training on domain- module harnessing pre-trained LLMs, and an alignment module
specific data, and integrating them seamlessly into existing workflows. for harmonizing diverse representations, Macaw-LLM stands
Enterprises can unlock new dimensions of efficiency by employing LLMs at the forefront of cutting-edge research in audio, image, and
for tasks such as document summarization, sentiment analysis, and multimodal language models.
customer interaction. Furthermore, the adaptability of these models
• The NExT Research Center at the National University of
allows for continuous refinement, ensuring that as business needs
Singapore (NUS) has recently unveiled NExT-GPT [6, 18] — a cutting-
evolve, the language models can evolve in tandem. As organizations
edge "any-to-any" multimodal LLM designed to adeptly process
navigate the landscape of digital transformation, building on top of
text, images, videos, and audio as both input and output.
LLMs emerges as a strategic imperative, fostering innovation, enhancing
Distinguished by its reliance on existing pre-trained models,
decision-making processes, and ultimately driving a competitive edge
NExT-GPT demonstrates remarkable efficiency by updating only
in an increasingly data-driven business environment.
1% of its total parameters during training. NExT-GPT boasts of a
versatile chat-based interface, empowering users to input text
CONCLUSION: STATE-OF-THE-ART
or upload files encompassing images, videos, or audio. With an
CONSIDERATIONS AND THE PATH
exceptional ability to comprehend the content of diverse inputs,
FORWARD
the model adeptly responds to user queries, generating text,
From the expanding horizons of audio, image, and multimodal LLMs to
image, video, or audio outputs tailored to user requests.
the imperative of responsible LLMs in navigating ethical considerations
and privacy, and finally, envisioning the future, this parting section RESPONSIBLE LLMS: NAVIGATING ETHICAL
examines the present landscape and illuminates the road ahead CONSIDERATIONS AND PRIVACY
for the continuous evolution and responsible deployment of these The utilization of LLMs gives rise to ethical concerns, encompassing the
groundbreaking technologies. possibilities of biased outputs, privacy infringements, and the potential
for misuse. To mitigate these issues, it is imperative to embrace
AUDIO, IMAGE, AND MULTIMODAL LLMS
transparent development practices, responsibly manage data, and
A multimodal LLM [16]
represents an advanced AI system that
incorporate fairness mechanisms. Addressing potential biases in
undergoes training with diverse modes of data, encompassing inputs
outputs, safeguarding user privacy, and mitigating the risk of misuse
from images, text, and audio sources to enhance its comprehension
are essential aspects of responsible LLM deployment. To achieve this,
and generation capabilities.
developers and organizations must adopt transparent development
A few leading multimodal LLMs are as follows: practices, implement robust privacy measures, and integrate fairness
mechanisms to ensure ethical and unbiased outcomes. Balancing the
• Gemini, Google's advanced multi-modal AI model, exhibits a
transformative potential of LLMs with ethical considerations is crucial
superior capability to comprehend and process diverse forms
for fostering a trustworthy and responsible AI landscape.
of information simultaneously, encompassing text, code,
audio, image, and video. As the successor to LaMDA and PaLM THE FUTURE OF LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS
2, Gemini, named after NASA's Project Gemini, represents a The future of LLMs promises exciting advancements. As these models
family of decoder-only Transformers, optimized for efficient evolve, the potential for self-fact-checking capabilities emerges,
training and inference on TPUs. Notably, Gemini surpasses contributing to more reliable and accurate outputs. However,
human experts in Massive Multitask Language Understanding advancements will still depend on the development of better prompt
(MMLU), showcasing its prowess. Its versatility spans computer engineering approaches to refine and enhance communication with
vision, geospatial science, human health, and integrated these models. Additionally, the future holds the prospect of improved
technologies. Google emphasizes Gemini's coding proficiency fine-tuning and alignment, ensuring that LLMs better sync with user
through AlphaCode 2, outperforming participants in coding intentions and generate contextually relevant responses. To make
competitions and demonstrating a remarkable 50 percent LLMs more accessible and applicable across diverse industries,
improvement over its predecessor. Trained on Google's Tensor providers must focus on developing tools that empower companies
Processing Units (TPU), Gemini boasts speed and cost efficiency, to establish their own reinforcement learning from human feedback
with plans to launch TPU v5p tailored for large-scale model (RLHF) pipelines. Customizing LLMs for specific applications will
training. Available in Nano, Pro, and Ultra variants, Gemini be a pivotal step forward, thus unlocking the full potential of these
caters to diverse user needs, from fast on-device tasks to high- models in addressing industry-specific needs and fostering a more
performance applications, with the Ultra version undergoing widespread adoption.
safety checks for release next year.
6. Wu, S., Fei, H., Qu, L., Ji, W., & Chua, T. S. (2023). Next-gpt: Any-
to-any multimodal llm. arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.05519. https://
WRITTEN BY DR. TUHIN CHATTOPADHYAY,
arxiv.org/abs/2309.05519
PROFESSOR OF AI AND BLOCKCHAIN, JAGDISH SHETH
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
B. TUTORIALS:
Dr. Tuhin Chattopadhyay is a highly esteemed and
7. Harvard: From Transformer to LLM: Architecture, Training and celebrated figure in the fields of Industry 4.0 and data
Usage (Transformer Tutorial Series) - https://scholar.harvard. science, commanding immense respect from both the
academic and corporate fraternities. Dr. Tuhin has been recognized
edu/binxuw/classes/machine-learning-scratch/materials/ as one of India's Top 10 Data Scientists by Analytics India Magazine,
transformers showcasing his exceptional skills and profound knowledge in the field.
Dr. Tuhin serves as a Professor of AI and Blockchain at JAGSoM, located in
8. Hugging Face: NLP Course - https://huggingface.co/learn/nlp- Bengaluru, India. Dr. Tuhin is also a visionary entrepreneur, spearheading
his own AI consultancy organization that operates globally.
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