Small Language Models (SLMs): A Cost-Effective, Sustainable Option for Higher Education
Small language models offer efficient computing that requires fewer resources than their larger counterparts.
“Small language models, known as SLMs, create intriguing possibilities for higher education leaders looking to take advantage of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
SLMs are miniaturized versions of the large language models (LLMs) that spawned ChatGPT and other flavors of generative AI. For example, compare a smartwatch to a desktop workstation (monitor, keyboard, CPU and mouse): The watch has a sliver of the computing muscle of the PC, but you wouldn’t strap a PC to your wrist to monitor your heart rate while jogging.
SLMs can potentially reduce costs and complexity while delivering identifiable benefits — a welcome advance for institutions grappling with the implications of AI and ML. SLMs also allow creative use cases for network edge devices such as cameras, phones and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors.
Just as a smartwatch applies basic computing to specific demands, SLMs apply learning automation in smaller doses where it can do plenty of good. To mine these opportunities, higher education leaders need to school themselves on the basics: what SLMs do and how they deliver value across campus.
What Are Small Language Models?
SLMs are spinoffs of LLMs, which have garnered massive attention since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022. Drawing on the power of LLMs, ChatGPT depends on specially designed microchips called graphic processing units (GPUs) to mimic human communication. The models ingest immense volumes of text, sounds or visual data and train themselves to learn from hundreds of billions or even trillions of variables, called parameters, according to IBM.
SLMs, by contrast, use substantially fewer parameters — from a few million to a billion. They can’t do everything an LLM can do, but their small size pays off in specific scenarios.
“Most universities are like small cities,” says Sidney Fernandes, CIO and vice president of digital experiences at the University of South Florida. Institutions oversee operational domains far beyond their core educational responsibilities: parking, transportation, housing, healthcare, buildings, law enforcement, athletics and more. “All of those operationally focused areas present places where these models can be specifically targeted to domains,” Fernandes adds.”