Unraveling FlashAttention. A Leap Ahead in Language Modeling | by Dimitris Poulopoulos | Aug, 2024

A Leap Ahead in Language Modeling

Picture by Leon Contreras on Unsplash

As I contemplated the subject for my subsequent sequence, the concept of explaining how the eye mechanism works instantly stood out. Certainly, when launching a brand new sequence, beginning with the basics is a smart technique, and Massive Language Fashions (LLMs) are the speak of the city.

Nevertheless, the web is already saturated with tales about consideration — its mechanics, its efficacy, and its functions. So, if I need to preserve you from snoozing earlier than we even begin, I’ve to discover a distinctive perspective.

So, what if we discover the idea of consideration from a special angle? Quite than discussing its advantages, we may look at its challenges and suggest methods to mitigate a few of them.

With this method in thoughts, this sequence will give attention to FlashAttention: a quick and memory-efficient precise Consideration with IO-awareness. This description might sound overwhelming at first, however I’m assured the whole lot will grow to be clear by the tip.

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This sequence will observe our customary format: 4 components, with one installment launched every week.