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Understanding Decoder-Only Transformers Part 2: Decoder-Only vs Regular Transformers
Decoder-only transformers and standard transformers differ in their architectures. Decoder-only transformers utilize masked self-attention throughout the entire process, for both input and output. This single stack of decoder layers handles both the input prompt and output generation. Regular transformers consist of two separate components: an encoder and a decoder. The encoder in a standard transformer uses self-attention to process the entire input at once. The decoder then employs encoder-decoder attention to connect and reference the input. This attention mechanism allows the decoder to focus on crucial parts of the input. In contrast, standard transformers use self-attention in the encoder and masked self-attention in the decoder. Decoder-only transformers simplify by employing masked self-attention consistently. This key difference distinguishes their internal workings. The article provides a concise comparison of these two transformer models. The next article will delve into encoder-only transformers. The text also promotes Installerpedia as a tool for easy software installation.
