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Original Paper
Original Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.07812
Abstract:
Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated their strong ability to assist people and show "sparks of intelligence". However, several open challenges hinder their wider application: such as concerns over privacy, tendencies to produce hallucinations, and difficulties in handling long contexts. In this work, we address those challenges by introducing the Retrieval-Augmented Thought Process (RATP). Given access to external knowledge, RATP formulates the thought generation of LLMs as a multiple-step decision process. To optimize such a thought process, RATP leverages Monte-Carlo Tree Search, and learns a Q-value estimator that permits cost-efficient inference. In addressing the task of question-answering with private data, where ethical and security concerns limit LLM training methods, RATP achieves a 50% improvement over existing in-context retrieval-augmented language models.
Summary Notes
Enhancing Language Models: The Power of Retrieval-Augmented Thought Process
Language models have significantly advanced, understanding and generating text like humans. Yet, they struggle with detailed, sensitive data and often make mistakes.
A promising solution is the Retrieval-Augmented Thought Process (RATP), which boosts language models by adding external knowledge, improving their output on complex tasks.
What is RATP?
RATP transforms language models by:
- Thinking in Sequences: It views generating thoughts as a series of decisions, allowing for a logical integration of various knowledge sources.
- Using Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS): This technique helps RATP efficiently sort through and integrate knowledge.
- Applying a Q-value Estimator: This ensures each thought step is relevant and impactful.
- Enhancing Complex Task Performance: Demonstrated improvements on tasks like BoolQA and emrQA show RATP's ability to boost language model capabilities.
Breaking Down Thought Generation
RATP sees thought generation as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), involving:
- States and Actions: States are previous thoughts and actions, and the action space can include external documents or past thoughts.
- Transition Dynamics: Combining these elements generates new thoughts, mimicking human thought processes.
- Reward Function: The accuracy of answers helps refine the process for better results.
The Role of Monte Carlo Tree Search
MCTS is crucial for RATP, given its complex decision-making needs, and involves:
- Selection and Expansion: Choosing which thought to develop further and integrating new information to generate thoughts.
- Simulation and Backpropagation: Evaluating new thoughts and updating the decision tree for continuous improvement.
Innovative Scoring Models
RATP uses two scoring models to value thoughts:
- Offline Model-Based Estimation: Predicts the value of new thoughts using past data.
- Self-Critic Method: Allows the language model to evaluate its outputs for more accurate assessments.
Experiments and Results
Testing RATP has shown:
- Better Handling of Sensitive Information: A 50% improvement in private knowledge scenarios.
- Superior Performance on Boolq Dataset: Demonstrating RATP’s advanced external knowledge integration and thought optimization.
Conclusion
RATP enhances language models by integrating external knowledge and treating thought generation as a decision-making process.
With MCTS and innovative scoring models, RATP overcomes current limitations, offering a path to more versatile and efficient language models.
Impact Statement
RATP’s benefits extend to making advanced language model capabilities more accessible and cost-effective, especially for dealing with sensitive data.
Its documentation of the thought process also enhances interpretability and accountability in AI decision-making, marking progress towards more reliable and transparent AI systems.
How Athina AI can help
Athina AI is a full-stack LLM observability and evaluation platform for LLM developers to monitor, evaluate and manage their models
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