# Rwkv Architecture

RNN+Transformer hybrid with O(n) inference.

- Repository: https://github.com/Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs (14176 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-11
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs --skill rwkv-architecture -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs --skill rwkv-architecture -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs --skill rwkv-architecture -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs --skill rwkv-architecture -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs`

## Description

RNN+Transformer hybrid with O(n) inference. Linear time, infinite context, no KV cache. Train like GPT (parallel), infer like RNN (sequential). Linux Foundation AI project. Production at Windows, Office, NeMo. RWKV-7 (March 2025). Models up to 14B parameters.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# RWKV - Receptance Weighted Key Value

## Quick start

RWKV (RwaKuv) combines Transformer parallelization (training) with RNN efficiency (inference).

**Installation**:
```bash
# Install PyTorch
pip install torch --upgrade --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu121

# Install dependencies
pip install pytorch-lightning==1.9.5 deepspeed wandb ninja --upgrade

# Install RWKV
pip install rwkv
```

**Basic usage** (GPT mode + RNN mode):
```python
import os
from rwkv.model import RWKV

os.environ["RWKV_JIT_ON"] = '1'
os.environ["RWKV_CUDA_ON"] = '1'  # Use CUDA kernel for speed

# Load model
model = RWKV(
    model='/path/to/RWKV-4-Pile-1B5-20220903-8040',
    strategy='cuda fp16'
)

# GPT mode (parallel processing)
out, state = model.forward([187, 510, 1563, 310, 247], None)
print(out.detach().cpu().numpy())  # Logits

# RNN mode (sequential processing, same result)
out, state = model.forward([187, 510], None)  # First 2 tokens
out, state = model.forward([1563], state)      # Next token
out, state = model.forward([310, 247], state)  # Last tokens
print(out.detach().cpu().numpy())  # Same logits as above!
```

## Common workflows

### Workflow 1: Text generation (streaming)

**Efficient token-by-token generation**:
```python
from rwkv.model import RWKV
from rwkv.utils import PIPELINE

model = RWKV(model='RWKV-4-Pile-14B-20230313-ctx8192-test1050', strategy='cuda fp16')
pipeline = PIPELINE(model, "20B_tokenizer.json")

# Initial prompt
prompt = "The future of AI is"
state = None

# Generate token by token
for token in prompt:
    out, state = pipeline.model.forward(pipeline.encode(token), state)

# Continue generation
for _ in range(100):
    out, state = pipeline.model.forward(None, state)
    token = pipeline.sample_logits(out)
    print(pipeline.decode(token), end='', flush=True)
```

**Key advantage**: Constant memory per token (no growing KV cache)

### Workflow 2: Long context processing (infinite context)

The rest: https://github.com/Orchestra-Research/AI-Research-SKILLs/blob/HEAD/01-model-architecture/rwkv/SKILL.md