FF-INT8: Efficient Forward-Forward DNN Training on Edge Devices with INT8 Precision

Backpropagation has been the cornerstone of neural network training for decades, yet its inefficiencies in time and energy consumption limit its suitability for resource-constrained edge devices. While low-precision neural network quantization has been extensively researched to speed up model infere...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:2025 62nd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference (DAC) pp. 1 - 7
Main Authors: Ma, Jingxiao, Panda, Priyadarshini, Reda, Sherief
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Published: IEEE 22.06.2025
Subjects:
Accuracy
Backpropagation
Energy conservation
Energy consumption
Energy efficiency
Inference algorithms
Low power
Lowprecision training
Neural network quantization
Neural networks
Quantization (signal)
Resource-constrained devices
Training
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Summary:Backpropagation has been the cornerstone of neural network training for decades, yet its inefficiencies in time and energy consumption limit its suitability for resource-constrained edge devices. While low-precision neural network quantization has been extensively researched to speed up model inference, its application in training has been less explored. Recently, the Forward-Forward (FF) algorithm has emerged as a promising alternative to backpropagation, replacing the backward pass with an additional forward pass. By avoiding the need to store intermediate activations for backpropagation, FF can reduce memory footprint, making it well-suited for embedded devices. This paper presents an INT8 quantized training approach that leverages FF's layer-by-layer strategy to stabilize gradient quantization. Furthermore, we propose a novel "look-ahead" scheme to address limitations of FF and improve model accuracy. Experiments conducted on NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano board demonstrate 4.6% faster training, 8.3% energy savings, and \mathbf{2 7. 0 \%} reduction in memory usage, while maintaining competitive accuracy compared to the state-of-the-art.
DOI:10.1109/DAC63849.2025.11133061