Overview
BitNet (bitnet.cpp) is an open-source inference framework from Microsoft that enables efficient inference of 1-bit and other low-bit LLMs. It includes optimized kernels for CPU and GPU and provides tooling for model conversion, benchmarking, and deployment.
Core Features
- Optimized inference kernels for 1-bit and low-bit models, supporting x86 and ARM platforms.
- Compatibility tools for Hugging Face models, demo site, and end-to-end benchmark scripts.
- Build scripts and benchmarking utilities for validating performance across hardware targets.
Use Cases
- Deploying LLMs on edge or resource-constrained devices where performance and energy efficiency are critical.
- Research and engineering focused on low-bit model inference and energy-efficient LLM deployments.
Technical Highlights
- MIT licensed open-source project with C++ and Python tooling, including conversion scripts and benchmarks.
- Supports model conversion workflows and provides official demos and technical reports for reproducible evaluation.