Beyond Layer-Wise Interpretability: Tracing Transformer Circuits and Advanced Intervention Techniques

John CraftsInformational Blog

Introduction Transformers have revolutionized AI with their performance, yet they remain black boxes – complex webs of attention and activation that defy easy explanation (Layer-Wise Sub-Model Interpretability for Transformers | artsen). Earlier in Layer-Wise Sub-Model Interpretability for Transformers, we explored breaking a transformer into interpretable layer-wise sub-models, treating each layer’s hidden state as an input to an explanatory module (Layer-Wise Sub-Model Interpretability for Transformers | artsen) … Read More

Advanced Techniques for Transformer Interpretability

John CraftsInformational Blog

In recent years, researchers have developed numerous methods to peer inside transformer models and understand how they work. Building on the concept of layer-wise sub-model interpretability – treating each layer or component as an interpretable sub-model – this report delves into advanced techniques that enhance model transparency. We examine theoretical foundations, such as saliency maps, attention analysis, causal interventions, neuron-level studies, mechanistic interpretability (circuits), and probing. … Read More

Layer-Wise Sub-Model Interpretability for Transformers

John CraftsInformational Blog

A Novel Approach to Improving AI Interpretability 1. Introduction Transformers have achieved remarkable success in NLP and other domains, but they operate as complex black-box models, making their decisions hard to interpret (A Practical Review of Mechanistic Interpretability for Transformer-Based Language Models). This lack of transparency has raised concerns about safety, trust, and accountability when deploying AI systems in real-world applications (A Practical Review of Mechanistic … Read More