# sup computer: a small language model studio

July 14, 2026 · ai, tools, open-source, creative-practice, future-of-software

Canonical: https://www.romellogoodman.com/writing/sup-computer-a-small-language-model-studio
Originally published: https://mellogood.substack.com/p/sup-computer-a-small-language-model

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After writing my [first small language model](https://mellogood.substack.com/p/my-first-language-model-shakespeare), I found myself catching the bug. In my practice I often fixate on a new technique/process and it becomes the fuel for a burst of creative energy. This is how my pen plotter drawings started and explains the transition then to risograph prints and last year the laser cutter paper reliefs. I used to feel self-conscious about it but then I realized it is healthy for my imagination. Being able to follow my interests and spend time exploring new ways to express myself with machines.

My newest fixation is called: [sup computer](https://supcpu.com/), a small language model studio. The focus on small models means that I can learn by doing. Instead of AI being a monolith that is trained in massive data centers on all of human knowledge, it becomes legible and steerable. I can feed the models different data sets and watch as their shape and capabilities change. [Daydream](https://www.supcpu.com/models/daydream-chess-nanogpt-1/) was fed chess games and now it roughly knows the shape of one so you can play against it. [Kenosha Kid](https://www.supcpu.com/models/kenosha-kid-nanogpt-2/) was fed variations of a single sentence in order to prod at the usefulness of hallucinated outputs.

Each of these started with a simple question or a variation on something existing. For me this is how research starts, a fun wondering that grows and rolls up into something larger. It creates a flywheel where new knowledge unearths new paths to follow which in turn unearth new knowledge and different questions.

And the questions are the point. Are we in a bubble or not? Are we building god or a stochastic parrot? Are we racing towards our own end? I am unable to answer these now and might not ever be. But I can at least start with smaller questions. I can use these models as lights along a path towards a greater understanding and leave a trail behind me for others to follow. Because sup computer is [open-source](https://github.com/romellogoodman/sup-computer), anyone can pick it up and use frontier models to train their own models. My hope is that this helps a thousand smaller models bloom and that together we can stitch them into something larger and more meaningful than the frontier. But for now, I’m going to keep tinkering.

-mello