Meta Platforms, Inc.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING DATA MOVEMENT DURING CONVOLUTION OPERATIONS IN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS

Abstract:

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a hardware accelerator that supports an ANN, an activation data set that is to undergo a convolution operation via a filter kernel of the ANN, (2) receiving, at the hardware accelerator, an argument indicating that the filter kernel exceeds at least one boundary of the activation data set when slid across a certain position during the convolution operation, (3) determining, based at least in part on the argument, that the hardware accelerator is to generate padding data at the boundary of the activation data set in connection with the certain position of the filter kernel, and then (4) performing, at the hardware accelerator, the convolution operation by processing a portion of the activation data set and the padding data when the filter kernel slides across the certain position. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.