distillation
/ˌdɪstɪˈleɪʃən/
Definition
A technique in artificial intelligence where a smaller, more efficient model learns to replicate the performance and behavior of a larger, more powerful model by observing its outputs.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'distillare,' meaning to drip down or trickle. It was originally used to describe the chemical process of purifying liquids through heating and condensation, before being metaphorically applied to software in the 2010s.
In the news
In this article, the term refers to the controversial practice where companies extract data from proprietary AI systems to train their own competing models. The author highlights this as a major point of contention between U.S. developers and Chinese firms.
Why A.I. Distillation Has Become a Hot Topic in the Race with China
Read the full article ↗The New York Times