seniorNLP

What are key differences between training and inference computation graphs in transformers?

Updated May 17, 2026

Short answer

Training graphs include backpropagation paths; inference graphs only perform forward computation.

Deep explanation

During training, activations are stored for gradient computation, and autograd builds a full computation graph. In inference, only forward pass is executed with optimizations like KV caching and fused kernels. This difference significantly impacts memory and latency.

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