AI Glossary
Quantization
What does “Quantization” mean?
Quantization: Storing a model's numbers with fewer bits, for example 8-bit or 4-bit instead of 16-bit. It shrinks the model and speeds it up, usually with a small loss in quality, and is one of the most common ways to fit large models onto modest hardware.

What is an example of “Quantization”?
Quantized versions of open-weight models let hobbyists run capable chatbots on a single consumer graphics card.