Knowledge Fusion of Large Language Models Via Modular SkillPacks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Du, Guodong, Li, Zhuo, Zhou, Xuanning, Li, Junlin, Shi, Zesheng, Lin, Wanyu, Tang, Ho-Kin, Li, Xiucheng, Liu, Fangming, Wang, Wenya, Zhang, Min, Li, Jing
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Du, Guodong
Li, Zhuo
Zhou, Xuanning
Li, Junlin
Shi, Zesheng
Lin, Wanyu
Tang, Ho-Kin
Li, Xiucheng
Liu, Fangming
Wang, Wenya
Zhang, Min
Li, Jing
author_facet Du, Guodong
Li, Zhuo
Zhou, Xuanning
Li, Junlin
Shi, Zesheng
Lin, Wanyu
Tang, Ho-Kin
Li, Xiucheng
Liu, Fangming
Wang, Wenya
Zhang, Min
Li, Jing
contents Cross-capability transfer is a key challenge in large language model (LLM) research, with applications in multi-task integration, model compression, and continual learning. Recent works like FuseLLM and FuseChat have demonstrated the potential of transferring multiple model capabilities to lightweight models, enhancing adaptability and efficiency, which motivates our investigation into more efficient cross-capability transfer methods. However, existing approaches primarily focus on small, homogeneous models, limiting their applicability. For large, heterogeneous models, knowledge distillation with full-parameter fine-tuning often overlooks the student model's intrinsic capacity and risks catastrophic forgetting, while PEFT methods struggle to effectively absorb knowledge from source LLMs. To address these issues, we introduce GraftLLM, a novel method that stores source model capabilities in a target model with SkillPack format. This approach preserves general capabilities, reduces parameter conflicts, and supports forget-free continual learning and model fusion. We employ a module-aware adaptive compression strategy to compress parameter updates, ensuring efficient storage while maintaining task-specific knowledge. The resulting SkillPack serves as a compact and transferable knowledge carrier, ideal for heterogeneous model fusion and continual learning. Experiments across various scenarios demonstrate that GraftLLM outperforms existing techniques in knowledge transfer, knowledge fusion, and forget-free learning, providing a scalable and efficient solution for cross-capability transfer. The code is publicly available at: https://github.com/duguodong7/GraftLLM.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_18502
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Knowledge Fusion of Large Language Models Via Modular SkillPacks
Du, Guodong
Li, Zhuo
Zhou, Xuanning
Li, Junlin
Shi, Zesheng
Lin, Wanyu
Tang, Ho-Kin
Li, Xiucheng
Liu, Fangming
Wang, Wenya
Zhang, Min
Li, Jing
Artificial Intelligence
Computation and Language
Machine Learning
Cross-capability transfer is a key challenge in large language model (LLM) research, with applications in multi-task integration, model compression, and continual learning. Recent works like FuseLLM and FuseChat have demonstrated the potential of transferring multiple model capabilities to lightweight models, enhancing adaptability and efficiency, which motivates our investigation into more efficient cross-capability transfer methods. However, existing approaches primarily focus on small, homogeneous models, limiting their applicability. For large, heterogeneous models, knowledge distillation with full-parameter fine-tuning often overlooks the student model's intrinsic capacity and risks catastrophic forgetting, while PEFT methods struggle to effectively absorb knowledge from source LLMs. To address these issues, we introduce GraftLLM, a novel method that stores source model capabilities in a target model with SkillPack format. This approach preserves general capabilities, reduces parameter conflicts, and supports forget-free continual learning and model fusion. We employ a module-aware adaptive compression strategy to compress parameter updates, ensuring efficient storage while maintaining task-specific knowledge. The resulting SkillPack serves as a compact and transferable knowledge carrier, ideal for heterogeneous model fusion and continual learning. Experiments across various scenarios demonstrate that GraftLLM outperforms existing techniques in knowledge transfer, knowledge fusion, and forget-free learning, providing a scalable and efficient solution for cross-capability transfer. The code is publicly available at: https://github.com/duguodong7/GraftLLM.
title Knowledge Fusion of Large Language Models Via Modular SkillPacks
topic Artificial Intelligence
Computation and Language
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.18502