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Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence
Learning without training: The implicit dynamics of in-context learning
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Conflicts of Interest
Identified Weaknesses
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Paper Summary
Paperzilla title
Transformers Learn by Secretly Tweaking Weights? (Maybe, in a Toy World)
This study proposes that in-context learning in transformers occurs through implicit weight updates in the MLP layer, influenced by the context provided in the prompt. However, this is demonstrated using a simplified transformer model trained on a basic linear regression task, and the results are only analyzed for the first generated token. The study also derives a formula for this implicit weight update and draws parallels with online gradient descent.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
The authors are all affiliated with Google Research. While no direct financial conflict is stated, Google has significant vested interests in LLMs and their development. This could introduce a potential bias in interpretation and presentation of findings.
Identified Weaknesses
Limited experimental validation
The theoretical results are only verified on a toy model of a transformer, trained on a simple linear regression task. This limits the generalizability of the findings to more complex, real-world scenarios with transformers trained on diverse and complex datasets.
Oversimplification of transformer architecture
The paper focuses solely on the first generated token and a single transformer block. This does not fully capture the complex dynamics of sequence generation in real transformers, which involve multiple blocks and attention heads.
Simplifying assumptions
The implicit learning dynamics described rely on simplifying assumptions, such as neglecting the skip connections in the MLP layer (although addressed in the Appendix). This deviates from the architecture of transformers used in practice, potentially affecting the validity of the conclusions.
Rating Explanation
This paper presents an interesting theoretical perspective on in-context learning in transformers. However, the significant limitations of focusing on a toy model, a single token, and simplifying assumptions, combined with the potential for bias due to the authors' affiliation, warrant a rating of 3. The experimental validation, while present, is not sufficiently robust to support stronger claims.
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File Information
Original Title:
Learning without training: The implicit dynamics of in-context learning
File Name:
2507.16003v1.pdf
[download]
File Size:
0.37 MB
Uploaded:
July 28, 2025 at 01:40 PM
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