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Lære Future Directions and Open Questions | Limits, Transfer and Future Directions
Zero-Shot and Few-Shot Generalization

bookFuture Directions and Open Questions

As you consider the future of prompt-based learning, it is clear that both zero-shot and few-shot generalization remain at the frontier of machine learning research. Theoretical understanding is still evolving, with many open questions about how and why large models can generalize from so few examples. One key question is whether current prompt-based methods are approaching their fundamental limits, or if new architectures and training regimes could yield further leaps in performance. There is ongoing debate about the extent to which emergent abilities — unexpected skills that arise only at scale — can be reliably predicted or engineered. Potential breakthroughs may come from better understanding the implicit mechanisms by which models learn from context, or from new ways of integrating external knowledge and reasoning capabilities. Yet, the field must also grapple with the boundaries of current approaches, particularly regarding reliability, explainability, and the ability to generalize to truly novel tasks. The future of prompt-based learning will likely be shaped by advances in both theory and practice, as researchers continue to probe the surprising capabilities — and the stubborn limitations — of these powerful models.

Scaling
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As models continue to grow in size and complexity, researchers are investigating how scaling laws apply to generalization, and whether larger models will always yield better zero-shot and few-shot performance;

Interpretability
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Understanding the internal mechanisms that enable prompt-based generalization is a major challenge; future work may focus on developing tools and techniques to make these processes more transparent and trustworthy;

Robustness
expand arrow

Ensuring that models generalize reliably across diverse domains and resist adversarial prompts remains an open area, with research exploring data augmentation, regularization, and evaluation on out-of-distribution tasks;

Hybrid Models
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Combining prompt-based approaches with symbolic reasoning, retrieval-augmented methods, or other architectures may lead to systems that can generalize more flexibly and with greater reliability.

Note
Note

Theoretical and practical boundaries of zero-shot and few-shot generalization are still being mapped.

Emergent abilities — unexpected capabilities that arise from scale or architectural changes — may continue to surprise researchers as models evolve.

question mark

Which of the following describes a key open question in the future of prompt-based learning?

Select the correct answer

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Hvordan kan vi forbedre det?

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Seksjon 3. Kapittel 3

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Suggested prompts:

What are some examples of emergent abilities in large language models?

How do researchers test the generalization limits of prompt-based learning?

What are the main challenges in making prompt-based models more reliable and explainable?

bookFuture Directions and Open Questions

Sveip for å vise menyen

As you consider the future of prompt-based learning, it is clear that both zero-shot and few-shot generalization remain at the frontier of machine learning research. Theoretical understanding is still evolving, with many open questions about how and why large models can generalize from so few examples. One key question is whether current prompt-based methods are approaching their fundamental limits, or if new architectures and training regimes could yield further leaps in performance. There is ongoing debate about the extent to which emergent abilities — unexpected skills that arise only at scale — can be reliably predicted or engineered. Potential breakthroughs may come from better understanding the implicit mechanisms by which models learn from context, or from new ways of integrating external knowledge and reasoning capabilities. Yet, the field must also grapple with the boundaries of current approaches, particularly regarding reliability, explainability, and the ability to generalize to truly novel tasks. The future of prompt-based learning will likely be shaped by advances in both theory and practice, as researchers continue to probe the surprising capabilities — and the stubborn limitations — of these powerful models.

Scaling
expand arrow

As models continue to grow in size and complexity, researchers are investigating how scaling laws apply to generalization, and whether larger models will always yield better zero-shot and few-shot performance;

Interpretability
expand arrow

Understanding the internal mechanisms that enable prompt-based generalization is a major challenge; future work may focus on developing tools and techniques to make these processes more transparent and trustworthy;

Robustness
expand arrow

Ensuring that models generalize reliably across diverse domains and resist adversarial prompts remains an open area, with research exploring data augmentation, regularization, and evaluation on out-of-distribution tasks;

Hybrid Models
expand arrow

Combining prompt-based approaches with symbolic reasoning, retrieval-augmented methods, or other architectures may lead to systems that can generalize more flexibly and with greater reliability.

Note
Note

Theoretical and practical boundaries of zero-shot and few-shot generalization are still being mapped.

Emergent abilities — unexpected capabilities that arise from scale or architectural changes — may continue to surprise researchers as models evolve.

question mark

Which of the following describes a key open question in the future of prompt-based learning?

Select the correct answer

Alt var klart?

Hvordan kan vi forbedre det?

Takk for tilbakemeldingene dine!

Seksjon 3. Kapittel 3
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