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answer: direct
beat: ai-technology
source: 1 article · updated: October 8, 2026
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Why is BitNet called 1.58-bit?

Three possible weight values require log2(3), approximately 1.585 bits, in an ideal encoding. Real model files also contain packing, scaling and other overhead.

Answered in

BitNet b1.58: What Ternary Weights Change—and What They Do Not

BitNet trains with ternary weights to cut storage and arithmetic costs. Its results do not prove a universal energy multiplier or a 70B CPU-cache model.

Crashtech Editorial October 7, 2026 How AI Actually Works

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