shlogg · Early preview
Mike Young @mikeyoung44

Transformer Models Can Work Without Normalization Layers

Transformer models can work without normalization layers when properly initialized, simplifying models and potentially improving efficiency.

This is a Plain English Papers summary of a research paper called Simpler, Faster AI: Transformer Models Can Work Without Normalization Layers, Study Shows. If you like these kinds of analysis, you should join AImodels.fyi or follow us on Twitter.

  
  
  Overview

Transformer models typically rely on normalization layers for stability
This paper shows transformers can work without these layers when properly initialized
ResNets can already operate without normalization
The key is controlling output variance through careful initialization
Removing normalization simplifies models and may improv...