Edge Distillation with Multi-step Tuning Pipeline for SLMs
Engineer a high-fidelity SLM for interactive persona by distilling linguistic patterns from frontier models (GPT 5.4).
Primary Features
- Distill latent reasoning and Chain-of-Thought (CoT) capabilities from GPT-5.4 into a 3B model.
- Engineer multi-step tuning pipeline - SFT for grounding, RKD for logic, and DPO for stylistic parity.
- Standardize input/output schemas using chat templates.
- Implement 4-bit quantization (GGUF) to balance VRAM efficiency and perplexity for edge hardware.
- Deploy via AWS SageMaker LMI/vLLM engine for paged-attention concurrency and real-time streaming.
Digital_Clone_ver1.0
Architected by Kuriko IWAI

Continue Your Learning
If you enjoyed this blog, these related entries will complete the picture:
Model Distillation Guide: Compressing LLMs for Edge Efficiency
A Technical Guide to QLoRA and Memory-Efficient Fine-Tuning
Is 4-Bit All You Need? The Math Behind Modern LLM Compression
Deconstructing LoRA: The Math and Mechanics of Low-Rank Adaptation
The Definitive Guide to LLM Fine-Tuning: Objectivee, Mechanisms, and Hardware
Related Books for Further Understanding
These books cover the wide range of theories and practices; from fundamentals to PhD level.

Linear Algebra Done Right

Foundations of Machine Learning, second edition (Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning series)

Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems

Designing Machine Learning Systems: An Iterative Process for Production-Ready Applications

Machine Learning Design Patterns: Solutions to Common Challenges in Data Preparation, Model Building, and MLOps
Share What You Learned
Kuriko IWAI, "Edge Distillation with Multi-step Tuning Pipeline for SLMs" in Kernel Labs
https://kuriko-iwai.com/labs/digital-clone-edge-distillation
Looking for Solutions?
- Deploying ML Systems 👉 Book a briefing session
- Hiring an ML Engineer 👉 Drop an email
- Learn by Doing 👉 Enroll AI Engineering Masterclass
Written by Kuriko IWAI. All images, unless otherwise noted, are by the author. All experimentations on this blog utilize synthetic or licensed data.




