The new Kimi K3 model, touted as near-frontier level, was tested for its coding capabilities. The author aimed to optimize a Rust program, a task that had previously proven difficult.

Using the Kimi K3 model within Open Code, a prompt was given to optimize a specific function. Kimi K3 suggested two optimizations, and the author opted for SWAR (SIMD Within a Register). This technique allows processing multiple smaller data units simultaneously within a larger register.

The optimization process took approximately 15 minutes. Kimi K3 successfully implemented the SWAR optimization, resulting in a 2% speedup of the program. This outcome suggests Kimi K3 may indeed be a frontier-level model, capable of identifying and implementing effective optimizations. The cost for this task was around $1 in tokens via Open Router.