arXiv Computation and Language

Evaluating the Semantic Specificity of Representation Steering in Language Models

arXiv AI
Oct 31

Decodable but Not Actionable: Auditing the Representation-Behavior Gap in Frozen LLMs for Geometric Constraints

The paper introduces a controlled auditing framework using parametric CAD to separate failures in encoding, expression, and activation-level control in frozen large language models (LLMs). Applied to eight pretrained models and random controls, it finds that pretraining mainly improves linear decoding of local relations, while global constraint status is already highly decodable from random representations. Despite strong local decodability, the models’ zero‑shot predictions lag far behind supervised probe performance, and simple activation steering fails to provide reliable control; however, low‑rank fine‑tuning with only 400 labeled relation pairs can substantially improve generation on three models, indicating that the representation–behavior gap can be narrowed through adaptation.

By Man Liang, Xinzhao Cheng, Faizan Wajid
arXiv AI
Jun 9

REFLECT: Intervention-Supported Error Attribution for Silent Failures in LLM Agent Traces

arXiv:2606. 09071v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Large language model (LLM) agents now solve complex tasks through long plan-and-execution traces, yet the ability to locate errors in a completed traces still lags far behind, especially in the \emph{silent failure} regime.

By Xiaofeng Lin, Yingxu Wang, Tung Sum Thomas Kwok, Daniel Guo, Sahil Arun Nale, Charles Fleming, Guang Cheng
Hugging Face Trending Papers
Oct 5

Correct Verdicts, Flawed Reasoning: Structured Auditing of LLM-based Vulnerability Reasoning

The paper introduces VERA, an automated framework that audits large language model (LLM) reasoning in software vulnerability analysis. Instead of relying on free‑form explanations, VERA requires models to produce a Structured Reasoning Record (SRR) that captures pointers, memory operations, and state transitions in machine‑readable fields. A multi‑stage judge then checks each SRR against eight reasoning failure modes, revealing that reasoning flaws are as common in correct verdicts as in incorrect ones and that VERA detects 87% of errors missed by free‑form LLM‑as‑judge evaluations.

arXiv Computation and Language
Aug 27

From Passive Response to Proactive Correction: Enhancing LLM Robustness Against Input Fact Perturbations

The paper introduces DEDUCE, a three‑stage framework that turns large language models into proactive error correctors by detecting input fact errors, devising correction strategies, and delivering reliable answers. It also presents MisFactQA, a dataset of factual errors, and new metrics for robustness evaluation. Experiments on TruthfulQA, FalseQA, and MisFactQA show significant gains in accuracy and error correction across Qwen, LLaMA, and Gemma models.

By Ping Wang, Xiangguo Sun, Bingbing Xu, Guocong Li, Xiaofeng Meng