ABOUT ME
Efficient systems.
Better learning.
I am an undergraduate in the Yao Class at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIIS), Tsinghua University.
I am currently a research intern at MIT Han Lab, advised by Prof. Song Han. I also work with Prof. Wei Xu at Tsinghua on distributed systems for large language model training.
My research focuses on machine learning systems: making large-model training and inference more efficient and reliable, and improving how language models learn to reason.
ML SystemsDistributed TrainingLLM Reinforcement Learning
Research & Projects
SELECTED WORK / 2024–2026
01 / DIFFUSION LANGUAGE MODELSPreprint · 2026
d-OPDFuture-Aware On-Policy Distillation for Block Diffusion Language Models
Ruitao Liu · First author · MIT Han Lab
Introduced future-aware on-policy distillation for block diffusion language models. The method corrects an autoregressive teacher's targets using visible future context within each block, aligning supervision with the information available to the diffusion student.
Improves model performance while making distillation more efficient.
02 / REINFORCEMENT LEARNINGAccepted at NeurIPS 2026
Hide to GuideLearning via Semantic Masking
Ruitao Liu · Co-first author · MIT Han Lab
Expert reasoningPlan + reward-relevant content
→Semantic maskingKeep the plan · mask the answer
→Policy learningReconstruct the missing steps
Developed Semantic Masked Expert Policy Optimization (SMEPO) for expert-guided reinforcement learning. The method preserves useful reasoning structure while masking information that could let a model copy its way to a reward.
Evaluated on mathematical reasoning, code, and agent tasks.
03 / DISTRIBUTED TRAININGPreprint · 2026
A Readiness-Driven RuntimePipeline-Parallel Training under Runtime Variability
Ruitao Liu · First author · Advisor: Prof. Wei Xu
Designed and implemented a runtime that dispatches ready microbatch work in a Megatron-based training framework. Existing schedules provide priorities, while actual dependencies determine what can execute.
Dynamic pipeline execution that adapts to computation and communication variability.
04 / RELIABLE ML SYSTEMSWAICA · 2026
FFTrainerFast Failover with Almost-Free State Management
Ruitao Liu · Co-author · Advisor: Prof. Wei Xu
Worked on fast failure recovery for large language model training, restoring training state with minimal additional state-management overhead.
05 / TRAINING OPTIMIZATIONPreprint · 2025
MegatronAppEfficient and Comprehensive Management on Distributed LLM Training
Ruitao Liu · Co-author · Advisor: Prof. Wei Xu
Optimized pipeline execution order and dependencies to increase computation–communication overlap and reduce pipeline bubbles in Megatron-based training.
06 / GENERATIVE MODELSICCV · 2025
SyncDiffSynchronized Motion Diffusion for Multi-Body Human-Object Interaction Synthesis
Ruitao Liu · Co-author · Advisor: Prof. Li Yi
Contributed to a diffusion framework for coordinated interactions among humans, hands, and objects, including model development, training, and data processing.
07 / AI FOR SCIENCEACM MM · MRAC 2025
Atoms of ThoughtUniversal EEG Representation Learning with Microstates
Ruitao Liu · Co-first author
Designed microstate-based representations and deep learning models for EEG signal modeling and analysis.
08 / OPEN-SOURCE CONTRIBUTION2025
TrainCheckRelation Checks & Online Training Validation
Research contributor · Advisor: Prof. Ryan Huang
Implemented FunctionCoverRelation and Threshold Relation checks, together with their online-checking versions. Ran experiments to collect relations and analyze inferred training invariants.