Learn what SLMs can do for you

The MERL Tech Initiative is hosting a course on Small Language Models (SLMs). Join us on October 30 and November 06 for a hands-on, 2-day workshop led by experts Cathy Richards and Jonas Norén.

Who is this course for?

Large, resource-intensive, general-purpose AI models are causing undeniable harm to the environment, the climate, and communities around the globe. Small language models, built in purposeful and controlled ways, and managed with thoughtful design, can be an alternative. Built with fewer computational resources, they can lead to faster processing, increased possibilities on smaller devices, more privacy and security, and they can be tailored by you and your tasks!

This course is for professionals in social impact, international development, and humanitarian work who want to explore using SLMs in their work. During this workshop, participants will gain an introduction to SLMs, discover how the concept of “open” manifests within SLMs, and learn how to set up an SLM with a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) approach for their own use.

If you…

• …are curious about bespoke AI models;
• …would like your AI use to have a smaller environmental footprint;
• …care about privacy and are mindful of (and limited by) what you can put into Large Language Models;
• …want to be able to use and work with language models when not connected to the internet.

Then this course might be for you!