cd /news/large-language-models/what-if-a-small-llm-didn-t-have-to-m… · home topics large-language-models article
[ARTICLE · art-138091] src=discuss.huggingface.co ↗ pub= topic=large-language-models verified=true sentiment=· neutral

What if a small LLM didn't have to make every decision?

Sfeir has released Esus, an open-source experimental code-generation system that pairs a 4B-parameter local LLM with a deterministic Python kernel to handle decisions that can be formalized, rather than having the model make every choice. The project's author frames the central question as how much the model actually needs to decide, and published the architecture, experiments and benchmark results alongside the code on GitHub. The author is soliciting feedback from developers working with small or local models on which parts of an agent should remain probabilistic and which should be deterministic.

read1 min views2 publishedSep 23, 2026

I’ve been experimenting with a different approach to code generation using a small local LLM.

The initial idea was simple: could a 4B model actually generate a usable Python application?

It could.

Well… sometimes.

Instead of trying to make the model responsible for everything, I started moving decisions that can be formalized into a deterministic Python kernel.

LLM

Deterministic kernel

The result is Esus, an open-source experimental code-generation system.

The interesting question for me is not:

“How do we make a 4B model code like a much larger model?”

It’s:

“How much do we actually need the model to decide?”

I’ve written up the architecture, experiments and benchmark results here:

Devops agentique, et si le LLM ne devait pas tout décider ? The project is open source:

GitHub - stengerg-sfeir/esus: Agent Smith · GitHub I’d be interested in feedback from people working with small/local models:

Which parts of your agents do you think should remain probabilistic, and which parts should be deterministic?

── more in #large-language-models 4 stories · sorted by recency
── more on @sfeir 3 stories trending now
sponsored brought to you by zahid.host 4,200+ EU-deployed projects
reading about agents? ship yours in a single git push.

Run your AI side-project on zahid.host

EU-based hosting, git-push deploys, automatic HTTPS, no cold starts. Free tier with a custom domain — perfect for shipping the agent you just read about.

$git push zahid main
Live at https://your-agent.zahid.host
Get free account → Pricing
from €0/mo · no card required
LIVE [news/what-if-a-small-llm-…] indexed:0 read:1min 2026-09-23 ·