US Patent 11645529 Sparsifying neural network models

A technique includes modifying a neural network model to sparsify the model. The model includes a plurality of kernel element weights, which are parameterized according to a plurality of dimensions. Modifying the model includes, in a given iteration of the plurality of iterations, training the model based on a structure regularization in which kernel element weights that share a dimension in common are removed as a group to create corresponding zero kernel elements in the model; and compressing the model to exclude zero kernel element weights from the model to prepare the model to be trained in another iteration.