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Вивчайте Hallucinations, Drift, and Failure Modes | Advanced Concepts in Text Generation
Transformers Theory Essentials

bookHallucinations, Drift, and Failure Modes

Large language models (LLMs) are powerful tools for generating text, but they are not immune to errors. Some of the most significant issues you may encounter when working with LLMs are hallucinations, drift, and output degradation. These phenomena can cause LLMs to produce text that is incorrect, irrelevant, or nonsensical, even when the input appears reasonable. Understanding these failure modes is crucial for anyone seeking to use or develop transformer-based models responsibly.

Hallucinations occur when an LLM generates plausible-sounding but false or fabricated information. This can range from minor factual inaccuracies to entirely made-up statements. Hallucinations often arise because LLMs predict the next token based on patterns in the training data, not on real-time fact-checking or reasoning.

Drift refers to a gradual loss of topical relevance or coherence as the model continues generating text. As context windows fill up, the model may lose track of the original prompt or intent, resulting in responses that stray from the subject or become repetitive.

Degradation in LLM outputs is a broader term that includes both hallucinations and drift, as well as other issues like repetition or abrupt topic changes. Degradation is often more noticeable in longer outputs, where the model's ability to maintain context and coherence is stretched.

Note
Note

Attention dilution and context loss are major sources of LLM failure. As the model processes longer sequences, its attention mechanism spreads thin across many tokens, making it harder to focus on the most relevant information. This can lead to forgetting important context, amplifying the risk of hallucinations or topic drift.

Hallucination
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The model invents facts or details not present in the input or training data;

Repetition
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The model repeats phrases, sentences, or ideas, often due to loss of context or poor sampling strategies;

Context Forgetting
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The model loses track of earlier conversation or prompt details, resulting in off-topic or irrelevant responses.

question mark

Which statements best describe common failure modes in large language models?

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bookHallucinations, Drift, and Failure Modes

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Large language models (LLMs) are powerful tools for generating text, but they are not immune to errors. Some of the most significant issues you may encounter when working with LLMs are hallucinations, drift, and output degradation. These phenomena can cause LLMs to produce text that is incorrect, irrelevant, or nonsensical, even when the input appears reasonable. Understanding these failure modes is crucial for anyone seeking to use or develop transformer-based models responsibly.

Hallucinations occur when an LLM generates plausible-sounding but false or fabricated information. This can range from minor factual inaccuracies to entirely made-up statements. Hallucinations often arise because LLMs predict the next token based on patterns in the training data, not on real-time fact-checking or reasoning.

Drift refers to a gradual loss of topical relevance or coherence as the model continues generating text. As context windows fill up, the model may lose track of the original prompt or intent, resulting in responses that stray from the subject or become repetitive.

Degradation in LLM outputs is a broader term that includes both hallucinations and drift, as well as other issues like repetition or abrupt topic changes. Degradation is often more noticeable in longer outputs, where the model's ability to maintain context and coherence is stretched.

Note
Note

Attention dilution and context loss are major sources of LLM failure. As the model processes longer sequences, its attention mechanism spreads thin across many tokens, making it harder to focus on the most relevant information. This can lead to forgetting important context, amplifying the risk of hallucinations or topic drift.

Hallucination
expand arrow

The model invents facts or details not present in the input or training data;

Repetition
expand arrow

The model repeats phrases, sentences, or ideas, often due to loss of context or poor sampling strategies;

Context Forgetting
expand arrow

The model loses track of earlier conversation or prompt details, resulting in off-topic or irrelevant responses.

question mark

Which statements best describe common failure modes in large language models?

Select the correct answer

Все було зрозуміло?

Як ми можемо покращити це?

Дякуємо за ваш відгук!

Секція 3. Розділ 2
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