Mixtral-8x7b Simplified
Tags: opensource, llm, machinelearning, beginners
Published: 2024-01-08 09:07:47

MistralAI's [Mixtral-8x7b](https://mistral.ai/news/mixtral-of-experts/) stands out in the crowd, trailing just behind the giants like OpenAI and Anthropic. What's even more exciting is that it's an [open-source project](https://github.com/mistralai/mistral-src/tree/moe)! My focus today is to break down its architecture using Neural Circuit Diagrams, offering you a peek into the world of cutting-edge transformers.

![Chatbot Arena](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sxig6q87gxxjrvm2rd56.png)

## Simplicity in Design, Complexity in Performance 

At its core, Mixtral-8x7b is a decoder-only transformer. It begins with tokenized inputs, morphing them into vectors through a series of decoder layers, culminating in the prediction of word probabilities. Despite its seemingly straightforward structure, the model excels in text infill and prediction, making it a formidable player in the AI arena.

![The overall model converts tokens to vectors, processes them, and converts them back to word probabilities. Credit: Vincent Abbott](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fspj21erhlpxrszydsd6.png)

## Decoding the Decoder 

Each decoder layer in Mixtral is a symphony of two major components: 
(i) an attention mechanism and 
(ii) a multi-layer perceptron. 

The attention mechanism is focused on context, pulling in relevant information to make sense of the data. The multi-layer perceptron, on the other hand, dives deep into individual word vectors. Together, wrapped in residual connections for deeper training, they uncover intricate patterns.

![The decoder layers are akin to the original transformer's, but exclusively use self-attention. Credit: Vincent AbbottThe](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/72s3ekw3xesnnn1be2do.png)

## Evolution of Attention 

Mixtral doesn't stray far from the original transformer's attention mechanism, but with a twist. A notable mention is [FlashAttention](https://hazyresearch.stanford.edu/blog/2023-01-12-flashattention-long-sequences) by Hazy Research, which zips through computations by optimizing attention for GPU kernels. My journey with Neural Circuit Diagrams has been instrumental in understanding these advancements, particularly in algorithm acceleration.

![Attention mechanisms have gradually evolved since popularized by 2017's Attention is All You Need.](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/mynxcaagvbwelpehh4e1.png)

## Sparse Mixture of Experts

The real showstopper for Mixtral is its Sparse [Mixture of Experts ](https://medium.com/gopenai/mixture-of-experts-moe-in-ai-models-explained-2163335eaf85)(SMoE). Traditional MLP layers are resource-hungry, but SMoEs change the game by selectively activating the most relevant layers for each input. This not only cuts down computational costs but also allows for learning more complex patterns efficiently.

![A gating mechanism decides which layers to execute, leading to a computationally efficient algorithm. Credit: Vincent Abbott](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wtbsmyh1lgidovvybczi.png)

## Concluding Thoughts

A Milestone for Open-Source AI In essence, Mixtral is a testament to the power and potential of open-source AI. By simplifying the original transformer and incorporating gradual innovations in attention mechanisms and SMoEs, it has set a new benchmark for machine learning development. It's a prime example of how open-source initiatives and innovative architectures like SMoEs are pushing the boundaries forward.

![The overall attention architecture, expressed using Neural Circuit Diagrams. Credit: Vincent Abbott](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5tkv8ybbiepsi2jaxf5s.png)

So, that's a wrap on the Mixtral-8x7b! Whether you're a budding AI enthusiast or a seasoned pro, there's no denying that Mixtral's approach to architecture and design is a fascinating stride in the journey of machine learning. Stay tuned for more exciting developments in this space!

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