When you enroll in this course, you'll also be asked to select a specific program.
Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 2 modules in this course
"Fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) is essential for aligning them with specific business needs, improving accuracy, and optimizing performance. In today’s AI-driven world, organizations rely on fine-tuned models to generate precise, actionable insights that drive innovation and efficiency. This course equips aspiring generative AI engineers with the in-demand skills employers are actively seeking.
You’ll explore advanced fine-tuning techniques for causal LLMs, including instruction tuning, reward modeling, and direct preference optimization. Learn how LLMs act as probabilistic policies for generating responses and how to align them with human preferences using tools such as Hugging Face. You’ll dive into reward calculation, reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), proximal policy optimization (PPO), the PPO trainer, and optimal strategies for direct preference optimization (DPO).
The hands-on labs in the course will provide real-world experience with instruction tuning, reward modeling, PPO, and DPO, giving you the tools to confidently fine-tune LLMs for high-impact applications.
Build job-ready generative AI skills in just two weeks! Enroll today and advance your career in AI!"
In this module, you will explore advanced techniques for fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) through instruction tuning and reward modeling. You’ll begin by defining instruction tuning and learning its process, including dataset loading, text generation pipelines, and training arguments using Hugging Face. You’ll then delve into reward modeling, where you’ll preprocess datasets, apply low-rank adaptation (LoRA) configurations, and quantify quality responses to guide model optimization and align with human preferences. You’ll also describe and utilize reward trainers and reward model loss functions. In addition, the hands-on labs will reinforce your learning with practical experience in instruction tuning and reward modeling, empowering you to effectively customize LLMs for targeted tasks.
Best Practices for Instruction-Tuning Large Language Models •3 minutes
Summary and Highlights •2 minutes
2 assignments•Total 30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Instruction-Tuning and Reward Modeling •9 minutes
Different Approaches to Instruction-Tuning•21 minutes
2 app items•Total 150 minutes
Instruction Fine-Tuning LLMs•90 minutes
Lab: Reward Modeling•60 minutes
3 plugins•Total 35 minutes
Helpful tips for Course Completion•5 minutes
Instruction Tuning•15 minutes
Reward Modeling & Response Evaluation•15 minutes
Fine-Tuning Causal LLMs with Human Feedback and Direct Preference
Module 2•5 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, you will explore advanced techniques for fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) using reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), proximal policy optimization (PPO), and direct preference optimization (DPO). You’ll begin by describing how LLMs function as probabilistic distributions and how these can be transformed into policies to generate responses based on input text. You’ll examine the relationship between policies and language models as a function of parameters, such as omega, and how rewards can be calculated using human feedback. This includes training response samples, evaluating agent performance, and defining scoring functions for tasks like sentiment analysis using PPO. You’ll also be able to explain PPO configuration, learning rates, and the PPO trainer’s role in optimizing chatbot responses using Hugging Face tools. The module further introduces DPO, a more direct and efficient way to align models with human preferences. While complex topics like PPO and reinforcement learning are introduced, you are not expected to understand them in depth for this course. The hands-on labs in this module will allow you to practice applying RLHF and DPO. To support your learning, a cheat sheet and glossary are included for quick reference.
At IBM, we know how rapidly tech evolves and recognize the crucial need for businesses and professionals to build job-ready, hands-on skills quickly. As a market-leading tech innovator, we’re committed to helping you thrive in this dynamic landscape. Through IBM Skills Network, our expertly designed training programs in AI, software development, cybersecurity, data science, business management, and more, provide the essential skills you need to secure your first job, advance your career, or drive business success. Whether you’re upskilling yourself or your team, our courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates build the technical expertise that ensures you, and your organization, excel in a competitive world.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
It takes about 3–5 hours to complete this course, so you can have the job-ready skills you need to impress an employer within just two weeks!
Do I need any background knowledge to complete this course successfully?
This course is intermediate level, so to get the most out of your learning, you must have basic knowledge of Python, large language models (LLMs), reinforcement learning, and instruction-tuning. You should also be familiar with machine learning and neural network concepts.
Which roles will benefit from the skills I will build during this course?
This course is part of the Generative AI Engineering with LLMs specialization. When you complete the specialization, you will have the skills and confidence to take on job roles such as AI engineer, data scientist, machine learning engineer, deep learning engineer, AI engineer, and developers seeking to work with LLMs.
Do I need any specific software or tools to complete the course successfully?
Only a modern web browser is required to complete this course and all hands-on labs. You will be provided access to cloud-based environments to complete the labs at no charge.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.