Understanding Large Language Models: Learning Their Underlying Concepts and Technologies by Thimira Amaratunga.
Thimira holds a MS in Computer Science from the University of Colombo. A long time senior software architect at Pearson, today he is a software engineer at CloudMarc and even holds patents related to dynamic neural networks and online learning semantics.
This book is teaching underlying concepts of Large Language Models (LLMs). Thimira begins by introducing ChatGPT, and how it links to LLMs. Readers will next learn about Natural Language Processing (NLP) which led to the development of LLMs.
Thimira is striving to tackle some rather complex concepts regarding LLMs and is presenting them to readers in such a manner that is easier to understand. He is also providing insights into architecture, functions, and applications.
For more mature programmers, the book is aiming to provide a thorough understanding of LLMs in order to inspire them to implement these models in their projects.
Python development for LLMs
So, here is where the content will be requiring a very careful examination. However Thimira is including helpful Python code examples for beginning LLM programming. In addition, he is providing excellent diagrams which reveal and detail architectural models.
At this point, chapters are addressing transformer models and attention mechanisms. This expands upon the unique capabilities of LLMs including different architectures of popular LLMs. Thimira is revealing the training processes used to develop LLMs, which include data collection, preprocessing, and algorithms involved in training models. Readers will see the exploration of different LLMs including chatbots, content generation, translation services, and others.
At the same time, he also is addressing potential dangers of LLMs. Thankfully he is also pointing to the ethical considerations of using LLMs, including issues specifically related to LLM bias, hallucination, and misinformation. Thimira also reveals the impact of AI technologies across society.
In conclusion, Understanding Large Language Models is providing an excellent review of LLMs leading readers to seek additional research into LLMs. This book is for designers and practitioners interested in learning the foundational concepts of NLP, LLMs, and even deep learning.