[GH-ISSUE #12024] RFC: Optimize Whisper STT with OpenVINO Backend in OpenWebUI #136166

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opened 2026-05-25 03:48:30 -05:00 by GiteaMirror · 1 comment
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Originally created by @xiangyang-95 on GitHub (Mar 25, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/issues/12024

Check Existing Issues

  • I have searched the existing issues and discussions.

Problem Description

Currently, Whisper STT in OpenWebUI runs on PyTorch by default, which may not be fully optimized for Intel architectures.

Desired Solution you'd like

This RFC proposes integrating OpenVINO as an optimized backend for Whisper (Speech-to-Text module) in OpenWebUI when an Intel CPU/GPU/NPU is detected. This enhancement will significantly improve inference speed and efficiency, particularly for users running OpenWebUI on Intel hardware.

In backend/open_webui/routers/audio.py, I can add a implementation for OpenVINO.

if request.app.state.config.STT_ENGINE == "":
        request.app.state.faster_whisper_model = set_faster_whisper_model(
            form_data.stt.WHISPER_MODEL, WHISPER_MODEL_AUTO_UPDATE
        )
elif request.app.state.config.STT_ENGINE == "openvino":
        request.app.state.faster_whisper_model = set_openvino_whisper_model(
            form_data.stt.WHISPER_MODEL, WHISPER_MODEL_AUTO_UPDATE
        )

Alternatives Considered

No response

Additional Context

No response

Originally created by @xiangyang-95 on GitHub (Mar 25, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/issues/12024 ### Check Existing Issues - [x] I have searched the existing issues and discussions. ### Problem Description Currently, Whisper STT in OpenWebUI runs on PyTorch by default, which may not be fully optimized for Intel architectures. ### Desired Solution you'd like This RFC proposes integrating OpenVINO as an optimized backend for Whisper (Speech-to-Text module) in OpenWebUI when an Intel CPU/GPU/NPU is detected. This enhancement will significantly improve inference speed and efficiency, particularly for users running OpenWebUI on Intel hardware. In `backend/open_webui/routers/audio.py`, I can add a implementation for OpenVINO. ``` if request.app.state.config.STT_ENGINE == "": request.app.state.faster_whisper_model = set_faster_whisper_model( form_data.stt.WHISPER_MODEL, WHISPER_MODEL_AUTO_UPDATE ) elif request.app.state.config.STT_ENGINE == "openvino": request.app.state.faster_whisper_model = set_openvino_whisper_model( form_data.stt.WHISPER_MODEL, WHISPER_MODEL_AUTO_UPDATE ) ``` ### Alternatives Considered _No response_ ### Additional Context _No response_
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@xiangyang-95 commented on GitHub (Apr 3, 2025):

Hi @tjbck, I am willing to contribute to this feature if you think this is a good one to add.

<!-- gh-comment-id:2774658354 --> @xiangyang-95 commented on GitHub (Apr 3, 2025): Hi @tjbck, I am willing to contribute to this feature if you think this is a good one to add.
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Reference: github-starred/open-webui#136166