Installing Ollama to Customize My Own LLM

David, a professional software engineer, introduces AMA, an open-source tool for running large language models on your own machine without the need for cloud hosting or OpenAI subscriptions. He demonstrates how to install AMA, download a model called 'fi' by Microsoft, and interact with it through the command line and an API. David also explains the structure of the model file, which includes the system prompt and template that define the model's behavior. He guides viewers on how to customize the model file to create a new model that speaks like a pirate, showcasing the flexibility of AMA for personalization. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to explore and share their experiences with AMA.

Takeaways

• 🚀 **AMA Introduction**: AMA is an open-source tool for easily downloading and running large language models on your local machine.
• 💻 **Easy Installation**: Installation is straightforward, with a downloadable version available online and an icon appearing in the menu bar for easy access.
• 🔍 **Model Listing**: After installation, you can list the installed models using the AMA command, which initially shows no models.
• 📚 **Model Selection**: The AMA tool allows you to download models from a library, with options like 'fi' by Microsoft being small yet capable.
• ⏬ **Downloading Models**: Models can be downloaded using a command provided by the AMA website, with sizes ranging from small to up to 50GB.
• 💬 **Chatting with Models**: Once a model is downloaded, you can interact with it via the command line, asking questions and receiving responses.
• 🔍 **API Interaction**: AMA also provides an API for programmatic interaction, allowing for HTTP requests to be made to interact with the model.
• 📄 **Model File Exploration**: The model file contains parameters, system messages, and templates that define the model's behavior.
• 🎨 **Customization**: Users can customize their model by editing the system prompt and template in the model file to create unique interactions.
• 🏴‍☠️ **Pirate Model Example**: An example of customization is creating a model that responds in the style of a pirate, showcasing the flexibility of AMA.
• 🔧 **AMA Commands**: The AMA tool offers various commands like 'help', 'show', and 'create' to manage and customize models.
• 🔗 **Future Applications**: AMA can be used to build and power applications like document chatting, with plans for deeper exploration in future videos.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the AMA tool?

AMA is an open-source tool designed to easily download and run large language models, chat with them in the command line, serve them over an API, and even create and customize models with your own system prompts and attributes.

Who created the AMA tool?

The AMA tool was created by Jeffrey Morgan, an engineer who previously worked at Twitter, Docker, and Google.

How long does it typically take to get a large language model running on your own machine using AMA?

According to the transcript, it takes under 5 minutes to get a large language model up and running on your own machine using AMA.

What are the benefits of using AMA instead of cloud hosting?

With AMA, you don't need to worry about paying for an OpenAI subscription or cloud hosting, allowing you to run models on your local machine without incurring additional costs.

What is the name of the model David chooses to use in the demonstration?

David chooses to use a model called 'Flan' by Microsoft, which he likes because it's small but capable, and should be able to run on most systems.

How does AMA handle the downloading and installation of a new model?

To download and install a new model, you navigate to the AMA website, select the model you want, and use the provided command to download the model file. The AMA tool then looks up the manifest and downloads the file.

What is the maximum file size that AMA can handle for a model?

While the example in the transcript is relatively small, AMA can handle models that are up to 50 gigabytes in size.

How does AMA allow users to interact with the model programmatically?

AMA exposes an API that allows users to interact with the model programmatically. Users can make HTTP requests to the API endpoint using tools like 'curl' to send prompts and receive responses.

What is the significance of the system prompt in a model file?

The system prompt sets the scene for the model, defining what the model is and how it should interact. It is a critical part of the model file that helps the model understand the context and the type of responses expected.

How can users customize their own model using AMA?

Users can customize their own model by creating a new model file, modifying the system prompt and template to suit their needs, and then using the 'AMA create' command to process the new model based on the custom file.

What is the potential use case for the additional information returned by the AMA API beyond just the model's response?

The additional information returned by the AMA API could be useful for developers running their own web apps, as it can provide context, metadata, or other relevant data that might enhance the application's functionality or user experience.

What are David's future plans for his channel 'Decoder'?

David plans to build on the AMA knowledge to dig deeper into how AMA works behind the scenes, how to further customize it, and how to use AMA to build and power applications like document chatting.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to AMA and Model Installation

David, a professional software engineer with extensive experience, introduces AMA, an open-source tool for running large language models on a personal machine. He explains that AMA allows users to download, run, and even customize models without the need for an OpenAI subscription or cloud hosting. The installation process is straightforward, involving a download from the AMA website and a subsequent terminal command to list installed models. David demonstrates how to download a model named 'fi' by Microsoft, noting its small size and capability. He also shows how to interact with the model through the terminal and mentions the potential for faster responses from smaller models, albeit with the caveat of potential inaccuracies or off-topic responses.

05:02

🤖 Customizing the Model with a Pirate Theme

The video continues with an exploration of AMA's API, using the 'curl' tool to make HTTP requests and interact with the model programmatically. David then delves into the model file structure, explaining the roles of the system prompt and template in defining the model's behavior. He guides viewers through customizing the model file to create a new model that speaks like a pirate, emphasizing the flexibility of AMA for personalization. After modifying the system prompt, he uses the 'AMA create' command to generate a new model and successfully adds it to the list of available models. The video concludes with a demonstration of the pirate-themed model answering a question about the composition of water, showcasing the successful customization.

Keywords

Ollama

Ollama is an open-source tool that allows users to download and run large language models on their own machines without the need for an OpenAI subscription or cloud hosting. It is used in the video to demonstrate how to install and interact with a language model called 'F' by Microsoft, which is chosen for its small size and capability.

Large Language Model (LLM)

A Large Language Model (LLM) is a type of artificial intelligence model that is trained on vast amounts of text data to generate human-like language. In the video, the focus is on using and customizing LLMs through the Ollama tool.

AMA

AMA stands for 'Ask Me Anything' and in the context of this video, it refers to a command that can be used in the terminal after installing Ollama. It is used to interact with the installed language models, list them, and perform various operations including customizing them.

Model File

A model file is a file that contains the parameters, system message, and template that define a language model. In the video, the model file for 'F' is shown and later customized to create a new model that talks like a pirate.

System Prompt

The system prompt is a predefined text that sets the context for the interaction between the user and the language model. In the video, the system prompt is initially 'a chat between a curious user and an artificial intelligence assistant' but is later changed to reflect a pirate theme.

Template

A template in the context of language models is a structured format that combines different types of prompts into a single message to initiate a conversation with the model. The video discusses how the template can be customized to change the way the model responds.

Customization

Customization refers to the process of modifying a pre-existing model or system to suit specific needs or preferences. In the video, the presenter customizes the 'F' model to make it speak like a pirate, demonstrating the flexibility of the Ollama tool.

API

An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules and protocols that allows software applications to communicate with each other. The video mentions that Ollama exposes an API, allowing for programmatic interaction with the language models.

curl

curl is a command-line tool used for making HTTP requests to web services. In the video, curl is used to interact with the Ollama API, demonstrating how to send requests and receive responses from the language model.

JQ

JQ is a command-line JSON processor used to parse and transform JSON data. In the video, JQ is used to format the response received from the Ollama API for easier reading and processing.

Manifest

A manifest in the context of software and programming is a file that lists the components, dependencies, and other important metadata about a software package. In the video, the manifest is mentioned when downloading a new model, as it helps in locating and downloading the required files.

Highlights

AMA is an open-source tool that allows users to download and run large language models on their own machine.

No need to pay for an OpenAI subscription or cloud hosting to use large language models.

AMA enables easy interaction with models via command line, API, and custom system prompts.

Installation of AMA is straightforward, with a downloadable version available from the website.

Once installed, AMA can be accessed through the terminal for various operations.

Models can be listed, downloaded, and run directly from the terminal.

Models like 'fi' by Microsoft are small yet capable, suitable for most systems.

Downloading a model involves looking up the manifest and downloading the file, which can range from small to up to 50GB.

AMA allows for quick responses from the models, as demonstrated by the question about water's composition.

Smaller models run quickly but may struggle with complex questions or stay on topic.

AMA exposes an API for programmatic interaction with the models.

The 'curl' tool can be used to make HTTP requests to the AMA API endpoint.

The model file contains parameters, system messages, and templates that define the model's functionality.

Users can customize the system prompt and template to change the model's behavior, such as making it talk like a pirate.

AMA provides a 'create' command to build a new model based on a customized model file.

The new custom model 'RFI' successfully talks like a pirate while providing correct information.

AMA can be used to build and power applications like document chatting.

The video provides a foundation for future exploration into AMA's customization and application.