talk · Monthly
Quantization, performance, and why Rust keeps AI from corroding
Build a quantization framework in Rust, from floats to AI inference
When
Wednesday 17 June
Time
18:00
Venue
Banyan Bar Leeds
City Centre
Price
Free
Lawrence Freeman returns to Rust Leeds on Wednesday 17 June 2026 to give a 90-minute hands-on tutorial on numeric representation, quantization, and what all of this means for AI inference performance. The talk starts from first principles — how floating-point numbers are stored in memory, where precision breaks down, and why rounding and overflow matter more than most engineers assume — then builds toward Post-Training Quantization (PTQ), the technique used to shrink and speed up AI models without retraining them.
The practical centrepiece is a small quantization framework built live in Rust, step by step. Freeman covers the trade-off between accuracy and efficiency that quantization forces you to make, and demonstrates how Rust's type system and explicitness help catch the class of numeric errors — what he calls "numeric corrosion" — that quietly degrade production AI systems. The session is pitched at engineers who write Rust or want to, and who are curious about how AI inference actually works at the numeric level rather than the API level.
Rust Leeds is one of the more technically focused meetups in the city. It runs monthly at venues around Leeds city centre, draws a mix of professional Rust developers and people learning the language, and tends toward deep-dive talks over introductory surveys. Freeman has spoken at the group before; his company Fledgio offers Rust training and consultancy for teams looking to build on what they hear tonight.
Why attend
This is a rare chance to see quantization explained from the ground up rather than hand-waved away. Freeman builds the framework live, so you leave with working code and a concrete mental model of how PTQ reduces model size and speeds up inference — not just a slide deck telling you it does.
The format is 90 minutes of structured tutorial, not a panel or a product pitch. Pizza and drinks are on from 18:00, so there is time to talk to other Rust engineers before the session starts. After 20:00 the group typically moves to a nearby pub.
Agenda
- 18:00 — Arrivals, networking, pizza and drinks
- 18:30 — Event starts, introductions
- 18:35 — Talk: Quantization, Performance, and Why Rust Keeps AI from Corroding
- 20:00 — Event finishes; optional move to a nearby pub
Speakers
- Lawrence Freeman — Rust developer and founder of Fledgio, which provides Rust training and consultancy. Has spoken at Rust Leeds previously.
Organiser
Rust Leeds Meetup Group
Rust Leeds Meetup Group runs monthly events for Rust developers and enthusiasts across the city. Talks tend toward the technical end: language internals, systems programming, and applied Rust in production. The group is hosted by Tim L. and two other organisers.
Venue
Banyan Bar Leeds, City Centre
The event is at Axiologik, 4 St. Davids Court, David Street, Leeds LS11 5QA — a short walk from Leeds city centre, in the South Bank area.
FAQs
- Is this event free to attend?
- Yes, the event is free. Pizza and drinks are provided from 18:00.
- Where exactly is the venue?
- Axiologik, 4 St. Davids Court, David Street, Leeds LS11 5QA. That's in the South Bank area, close to Leeds city centre.
- Do I need to register in advance?
- Yes. Registration is via the Rust Leeds Meetup Group page on Meetup.com. Sign up there to secure your place.
- Is this suitable if I'm still learning Rust?
- The talk is hands-on and starts from fundamentals — how numbers are represented in memory — before moving to quantization and AI inference. Some familiarity with Rust will help you follow the live coding sections.
- Will the talk be recorded?
- The source material does not mention a recording. Assume it will not be recorded unless the organisers confirm otherwise.