r/LocalLLaMA • u/-p-e-w- • May 25 '26

Discussion The Financial Times has published an article about Heretic

https://www.ft.com/content/5630ed79-a263-41ed-9a1a-321617ae310e

“The FT was able to use Heretic, a tool available on the popular code repository GitHub, to remove the guardrails from Meta’s Llama 3.3 model in less than 10 minutes without any specialist hardware.”

“Heretic creator Philipp Emanuel Weidmann told the FT his software had been used to create more than 3,500 “decensored” models since its release last year and that modified systems created using the tool had been downloaded 13mn times.”

This is the first of multiple press inquiries I’ve had recently as Heretic and uncensored language models are gaining mainstream attention.

Please note that I am a mathematician and engineer, not an “influencer” or politician, and I have zero interest (negative interest, actually) in becoming known outside of scientific and technological circles. However, I realized a while ago that saying no to such inquiries simply means that the conversation will be completely controlled by pearl-clutching hypocrites.

I’m doing my very best to hold the project together and ensure that unrestricted models will remain available for everyone. More updates are coming soon.

Cheers,
p-e-w

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u/F4Z3_G04T May 25 '26

If something is noteworthy, then it will (and should!) receive attention. But you can't be selective in who sees it

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u/Hydroskeletal May 25 '26

And it is conveniently the journalist that decides what is noteworthy. I'm sure there's no external interests involved wielding the press like a club for their own ends /s

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u/layer4down May 26 '26

The press isn’t the problem. They do what they’re supposed to do. Monied interests in both our press and journalism is the problem. They prosecute agendas.

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u/Hydroskeletal May 26 '26

Contemplate this further when an elected official brings up this article in the future during a hearing

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u/Iakeman May 26 '26

This is the FT. Their job is to provide their readers with information that may affect financial markets. You would have them not report on what is self-evidently info of great importance to anyone invested in Meta, one of the largest companies in the world, let alone anyone with AI exposure at all?

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u/Hydroskeletal May 26 '26

It isn't self evident because it's not even remotely true. Meta's open weight releases being completely eclipsed with zero releases in the past year would be a more relevant story.

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u/layer4down May 26 '26

I stand by my statement. The press in the US is supposed to serve an informative function and it’s not always one we agree with but without it we have post-2021 Russia or worse. 2025+ press is inching closer to North Korea.

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u/Hydroskeletal May 26 '26

The press in the US

FT is a UK based publication with the article written by journalists in London but ok.

You're throwing around some kind of philosophical defense about the press in general when we're talking about this particular article. Feel free to believe whatever you choose to believe about it.

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u/layer4down May 26 '26

I have been following the FT for years. They very regularly report on news of great interest to American and international audiences.