Integration of large language models and federated learning.

Abstract

As the parameter size of large language models (LLMs) continues to expand, there is an urgent need to address the scarcity of high-quality data. In response, existing research has attempted to make a breakthrough by incorporating federated learning (FL) into LLMs. Conversely, considering the outstanding performance of LLMs in task generalization, researchers have also tried applying LLMs within FL to tackle challenges in relevant domains. The complementarity between LLMs and FL has already ignited widespread research interest. In this review, we aim to deeply explore the integration of LLMs and FL. We propose a research framework dividing the fusion of LLMs and FL into three parts: the combination of LLM sub-technologies with FL, the integration of FL sub-technologies with LLMs, and the overall merger of LLMs and FL. We first provide a comprehensive review of the current state of research in the domain of LLMs combined with FL, including their typical applications, integration advantages, challenges faced, and future directions for resolution. Subsequently, we discuss the practical applications of the combination of LLMs and FL in critical scenarios such as healthcare, finance, and education and provide new perspectives and insights into future research directions for LLMs and FL.