SLM

A compact language model designed to run efficiently on limited hardware while retaining strong performance on targeted tasks. Small Language Models (SLMs) are language models typically under 10 billion parameters, optimised for speed and low memory footprint rather than maximum capability. Examples include Microsoft Phi-3, Google Gemma, and Meta LLaMA 3 8B.

SLMs are deployed on edge devices, mobile phones, and low-cost servers where large models are impractical. They are often created through model distillation from larger teacher models, fine-tuning on domain-specific data, or purpose-built compact architectures.

Small Language Model is a foundational concept in Model Architecture. A compact language model designed to run efficiently on limited hardware while retaining strong performance on targeted tasks.