Mr Mitchell Hargreaves1
1Monash University, Clayton, Australia
Biography:
Mitchell Hargreaves is experienced with training and deploying deep learning models as well as building data engineering pipelines. He is passionate about reducing barriers of entry and making these tools more available for all. He is the primary developer and system administrator for MLeRP.
Abstract:
The use of online GPT chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude has exploded in popularity in the last few years. Many researchers have begun integrating these tools into their workflows for tasks such as programming assistance, brainstorming or even automating qualitative text analysis. However, chatbot use remains limited to non-sensitive applications due to the risk of data breach, as any data sent to these services could potentially be exposed or even used for model training.
The Machine Learning eResearch Platform (MLeRP) was developed to offer a premium Jupyter notebook experience backed by the power of a GPU cluster, persistent storage, and full control over the software environment. Since its launch, MLeRP has grown to support over 200 users across a wide range of applications. MLeRP’s low barrier of entry has empowered users to use MLeRP as a stepping stone, teaching them cluster concepts when they’re ready and preparing them for when they eventually outgrow our platform and scale to High Performance Computing (HPC) environments.
To meet the needs of our growing user base, MLeRP now includes a locally deployed Ollama server. This aims to support our researchers’ growing demand for assistive copilots while preserving researcher data privacy by keeping the data local to the platform.