Helion

Helion is a Python-embedded domain-specific language (DSL) for authoring machine learning kernels, designed to compile down to Triton, a performant backend for programming GPUs and other devices. Helion aims to raise the level of abstraction compared to Triton, making it easier to write correct and efficient kernels while enabling more automation in the autotuning process.

Helion is a PyTorch-native DSL for authoring high-performance machine learning kernels. It makes writing fast, scalable ML kernels dramatically easier and addresses the dichotomy between high-level productivity and low-level control. Helion establishes a new layer of abstraction that bridges the user-friendly simplicity of PyTorch with the performance of a lower level language. Its core innovation are:

  • PyTorch-Native Syntax: Write kernels using familiar PyTorch idioms
  • Advanced Autotuning: Explores a vast space of kernel configurations automatically
  • Hardware Portability: Single kernel definition works across NVIDIA, AMD, Intel GPUs, and other hardware accelerators

Helion was contributed by Meta to the Linux Foundation in March 2026.