This article is a write up of my experience on hosting Qwen 2.5 the 0.5B model in Raspberry Pi 2 using Llama.cpp. Qwen 2.5 is one of the small SLM with 0.5B parameters so a small development board like Raspberry Pi can hold it. RPi 2 Model B comes with 900Mhz speed and only 1GB of memory. But to be honest, setting up the project might take 1-2 hours, and the prompt execution is only some 1-2 tokens per second. So you need to be patient. Let us begin! Step 0: Pick up the Raspberry Pi 2 from the attic.…

The term stochastic parrot was introduced in a 2021 paper by Bender, Gebru, and colleagues (ref: Wikipedia). It highlights a fundamental limitation of large language models. These systems generate text by predicting the next token based on statistical patterns. They do not possess grounded understanding of the world. This can lead to convincing output that is incorrect, biased, or superficial. What the metaphor captures is simple: the probabilistic, statistically driven nature of these models. Parrot evokes an entity that mimics language without real understanding. The critique is not about style. It is about reliability. When a model draws from vast…

With the rise of Generative AI, many professionals wonder if learning the old school foundations of statistics, classical machine learning, and data science is still relevant. After all, tools today can generate insights, code, and even models with just a few prompts. It is tempting to skip the basics and focus only on leveraging Gen AI platforms. But the reality is, foundational knowledge still holds significant value, especially depending on who you are and what you do. For Data Scientists and Analysts If you are building models, validating results, or making sense of patterns in data, a strong foundation is…