Consolidating TinyML Lifecycle with Large Language Models: Reality, Illusion, or Opportunity?

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Wu, Guanghan, Tarkoma, Sasu, Morabito, Roberto
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Wu, Guanghan
Tarkoma, Sasu
Morabito, Roberto
author_facet Wu, Guanghan
Tarkoma, Sasu
Morabito, Roberto
contents The evolving requirements of Internet of Things (IoT) applications are driving an increasing shift toward bringing intelligence to the edge, enabling real-time insights and decision-making within resource-constrained environments. Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) has emerged as a key enabler of this evolution, facilitating the deployment of ML models on devices such as microcontrollers and embedded systems. However, the complexity of managing the TinyML lifecycle, including stages such as data processing, model optimization and conversion, and device deployment, presents significant challenges and often requires substantial human intervention. Motivated by these challenges, we began exploring whether Large Language Models (LLMs) could help automate and streamline the TinyML lifecycle. We developed a framework that leverages the natural language processing (NLP) and code generation capabilities of LLMs to reduce development time and lower the barriers to entry for TinyML deployment. Through a case study involving a computer vision classification model, we demonstrate the framework's ability to automate key stages of the TinyML lifecycle. Our findings suggest that LLM-powered automation holds potential for improving the lifecycle development process and adapting to diverse requirements. However, while this approach shows promise, there remain obstacles and limitations, particularly in achieving fully automated solutions. This paper sheds light on both the challenges and opportunities of integrating LLMs into TinyML workflows, providing insights into the path forward for efficient, AI-assisted embedded system development.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_12420
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Consolidating TinyML Lifecycle with Large Language Models: Reality, Illusion, or Opportunity?
Wu, Guanghan
Tarkoma, Sasu
Morabito, Roberto
Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
The evolving requirements of Internet of Things (IoT) applications are driving an increasing shift toward bringing intelligence to the edge, enabling real-time insights and decision-making within resource-constrained environments. Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) has emerged as a key enabler of this evolution, facilitating the deployment of ML models on devices such as microcontrollers and embedded systems. However, the complexity of managing the TinyML lifecycle, including stages such as data processing, model optimization and conversion, and device deployment, presents significant challenges and often requires substantial human intervention. Motivated by these challenges, we began exploring whether Large Language Models (LLMs) could help automate and streamline the TinyML lifecycle. We developed a framework that leverages the natural language processing (NLP) and code generation capabilities of LLMs to reduce development time and lower the barriers to entry for TinyML deployment. Through a case study involving a computer vision classification model, we demonstrate the framework's ability to automate key stages of the TinyML lifecycle. Our findings suggest that LLM-powered automation holds potential for improving the lifecycle development process and adapting to diverse requirements. However, while this approach shows promise, there remain obstacles and limitations, particularly in achieving fully automated solutions. This paper sheds light on both the challenges and opportunities of integrating LLMs into TinyML workflows, providing insights into the path forward for efficient, AI-assisted embedded system development.
title Consolidating TinyML Lifecycle with Large Language Models: Reality, Illusion, or Opportunity?
topic Software Engineering
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.12420