OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
Human-in-the-Loop Synthetic Text Data Inspection with Provenance Tracking
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2024
Year: 2024

Data augmentation techniques apply transformations to existing texts to generate additional data. The transformations may produce low-quality texts, where the meaning of the text is changed and the text may even be mangled beyond human comprehension. Analyzing the synthetically generated texts and their corresponding labels is slow and demanding. To winnow out texts with incorrect labels, we develop INSPECTOR, a human-in-the-loop data inspection technique. INSPECTOR combines the strengths of provenance tracking techniques with assistive labeling. INSPECTOR allows users to group related texts by their transformation provenance, i.e., the transformations applied to the original text, or feature provenance, the linguistic features of the original text. For assistive labeling, INSPECTOR computes metrics that approximate data quality, and allows users to compare the corresponding label of each text against the predictions of a large language model. In a user study, INSPECTOR increases the number of texts with correct labels identified by 3X on a sentiment analysis task and by 4X on a hate speech detection task. The participants found grouping the synthetically generated texts by their common transformation to be the most useful technique. Surprisingly, grouping texts by common linguistic features was perceived to be unhelpful. Contrary to prior work, our study finds that no single technique obviates the need for human inspection effort. This validates the design of INSPECTOR which combines both analysis of data provenance and assistive labeling to reduce human inspection effort.
IPixMatch: Boost Semi-supervised Semantic Segmentation with Inter-Pixel Relation
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

The scarcity of labeled data in real-world scenarios is a critical bottleneck of deep learning's effectiveness. Semi-supervised semantic segmentation has been a typical solution to achieve a desirable tradeoff between annotation cost and segmentation performance. However, previous approaches, whether based on consistency regularization or self-training, tend to neglect the contextual knowledge embedded within inter-pixel relations. This negligence leads to suboptimal performance and limited generalization. In this paper, we propose a novel approach IPixMatch designed to mine the neglected but valuable Inter-Pixel information for semi-supervised learning. Specifically, IPixMatch is constructed as an extension of the standard teacher-student network, incorporating additional loss terms to capture inter-pixel relations. It shines in low-data regimes by efficiently leveraging the limited labeled data and extracting maximum utility from the available unlabeled data. Furthermore, IPixMatch can be integrated seamlessly into most teacher-student frameworks without the need of model modification or adding additional components. Our straightforward IPixMatch method demonstrates consistent performance improvements across various benchmark datasets under different partitioning protocols.
Learning general Gaussian mixtures with efficient score matching
Venue: arXiv cs.DS 2024
Year: 2024

We study the problem of learning mixtures of $k$ Gaussians in $d$ dimensions. We make no separation assumptions on the underlying mixture components: we only require that the covariance matrices have bounded condition number and that the means and covariances lie in a ball of bounded radius. We give an algorithm that draws $d^{\mathrm{poly}(k/\varepsilon)}$ samples from the target mixture, runs in sample-polynomial time, and constructs a sampler whose output distribution is $\varepsilon$-far from the unknown mixture in total variation. Prior works for this problem either (i) required exponential runtime in the dimension $d$, (ii) placed strong assumptions on the instance (e.g., spherical covariances or clusterability), or (iii) had doubly exponential dependence on the number of components $k$. Our approach departs from commonly used techniques for this problem like the method of moments. Instead, we leverage a recently developed reduction, based on diffusion models, from distribution learning to a supervised learning task called score matching. We give an algorithm for the latter by proving a structural result showing that the score function of a Gaussian mixture can be approximated by a piecewise-polynomial function, and there is an efficient algorithm for finding it. To our knowledge, this is the first example of diffusion models achieving a state-of-the-art theoretical guarantee for an unsupervised learning task.
RSCaMa: Remote Sensing Image Change Captioning with State Space Model
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

Remote Sensing Image Change Captioning (RSICC) aims to describe surface changes between multi-temporal remote sensing images in language, including the changed object categories, locations, and dynamics of changing objects (e.g., added or disappeared). This poses challenges to spatial and temporal modeling of bi-temporal features. Despite previous methods progressing in the spatial change perception, there are still weaknesses in joint spatial-temporal modeling. To address this, in this paper, we propose a novel RSCaMa model, which achieves efficient joint spatial-temporal modeling through multiple CaMa layers, enabling iterative refinement of bi-temporal features. To achieve efficient spatial modeling, we introduce the recently popular Mamba (a state space model) with a global receptive field and linear complexity into the RSICC task and propose the Spatial Difference-aware SSM (SD-SSM), overcoming limitations of previous CNN- and Transformer-based methods in the receptive field and computational complexity. SD-SSM enhances the model's ability to capture spatial changes sharply. In terms of efficient temporal modeling, considering the potential correlation between the temporal scanning characteristics of Mamba and the temporality of the RSICC, we propose the Temporal-Traversing SSM (TT-SSM), which scans bi-temporal features in a temporal cross-wise manner, enhancing the model's temporal understanding and information interaction. Experiments validate the effectiveness of the efficient joint spatial-temporal modeling and demonstrate the outstanding performance of RSCaMa and the potential of the Mamba in the RSICC task. Additionally, we systematically compare three different language decoders, including Mamba, GPT-style decoder, and Transformer decoder, providing valuable insights for future RSICC research. The code will be available at \emph{\url{https://github.com/Chen-Yang-Liu/RSCaMa}}
Holmes: A Benchmark to Assess the Linguistic Competence of Language Models
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

We introduce Holmes, a new benchmark designed to assess language models (LMs) linguistic competence - their unconscious understanding of linguistic phenomena. Specifically, we use classifier-based probing to examine LMs' internal representations regarding distinct linguistic phenomena (e.g., part-of-speech tagging). As a result, we meet recent calls to disentangle LMs' linguistic competence from other cognitive abilities, such as following instructions in prompting-based evaluations. Composing Holmes, we review over 270 probing studies and include more than 200 datasets to assess syntax, morphology, semantics, reasoning, and discourse phenomena. Analyzing over 50 LMs reveals that, aligned with known trends, their linguistic competence correlates with model size. However, surprisingly, model architecture and instruction tuning also significantly influence performance, particularly in morphology and syntax. Finally, we propose FlashHolmes, a streamlined version that reduces the computation load while maintaining high-ranking precision.
Dynamic Model Switching for Improved Accuracy in Machine Learning
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

In the dynamic landscape of machine learning, where datasets vary widely in size and complexity, selecting the most effective model poses a significant challenge. Rather than fixating on a single model, our research propels the field forward with a novel emphasis on dynamic model switching. This paradigm shift allows us to harness the inherent strengths of different models based on the evolving size of the dataset. Consider the scenario where CatBoost demonstrates exceptional efficacy in handling smaller datasets, providing nuanced insights and accurate predictions. However, as datasets grow in size and intricacy, XGBoost, with its scalability and robustness, becomes the preferred choice. Our approach introduces an adaptive ensemble that intuitively transitions between CatBoost and XGBoost. This seamless switching is not arbitrary; instead, it's guided by a user-defined accuracy threshold, ensuring a meticulous balance between model sophistication and data requirements. The user sets a benchmark, say 80% accuracy, prompting the system to dynamically shift to the new model only if it guarantees improved performance. This dynamic model-switching mechanism aligns with the evolving nature of data in real-world scenarios. It offers practitioners a flexible and efficient solution, catering to diverse dataset sizes and optimising predictive accuracy at every juncture. Our research, therefore, stands at the forefront of innovation, redefining how machine learning models adapt and excel in the face of varying dataset dynamics.
Multimodal Fusion on Low-quality Data: A Comprehensive Survey
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

Multimodal fusion focuses on integrating information from multiple modalities with the goal of more accurate prediction, which has achieved remarkable progress in a wide range of scenarios, including autonomous driving and medical diagnosis. However, the reliability of multimodal fusion remains largely unexplored especially under low-quality data settings. This paper surveys the common challenges and recent advances of multimodal fusion in the wild and presents them in a comprehensive taxonomy. From a data-centric view, we identify four main challenges that are faced by multimodal fusion on low-quality data, namely (1) noisy multimodal data that are contaminated with heterogeneous noises, (2) incomplete multimodal data that some modalities are missing, (3) imbalanced multimodal data that the qualities or properties of different modalities are significantly different and (4) quality-varying multimodal data that the quality of each modality dynamically changes with respect to different samples. This new taxonomy will enable researchers to understand the state of the field and identify several potential directions. We also provide discussion for the open problems in this field together with interesting future research directions.
RE-GrievanceAssist: Enhancing Customer Experience through ML-Powered Complaint Management
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

In recent years, digital platform companies have faced increasing challenges in managing customer complaints, driven by widespread consumer adoption. This paper introduces an end-to-end pipeline, named RE-GrievanceAssist, designed specifically for real estate customer complaint management. The pipeline consists of three key components: i) response/no-response ML model using TF-IDF vectorization and XGBoost classifier ; ii) user type classifier using fasttext classifier; iii) issue/sub-issue classifier using TF-IDF vectorization and XGBoost classifier. Finally, it has been deployed as a batch job in Databricks, resulting in a remarkable 40% reduction in overall manual effort with monthly cost reduction of Rs 1,50,000 since August 2023.
"I'm in the Bluesky Tonight": Insights from a Year Worth of Social Data
Venue: arXiv cs.SI 2024
Year: 2024

Pollution of online social spaces caused by rampaging d/misinformation is a growing societal concern. However, recent decisions to reduce access to social media APIs are causing a shortage of publicly available, recent, social media data, thus hindering the advancement of computational social science as a whole. We present a large, high-coverage dataset of social interactions and user-generated content from Bluesky Social to address this pressing issue. The dataset contains the complete post history of over 4M users (81% of all registered accounts), totalling 235M posts. We also make available social data covering follow, comment, repost, and quote interactions. Since Bluesky allows users to create and bookmark feed generators (i.e., content recommendation algorithms), we also release the full output of several popular algorithms available on the platform, along with their timestamped ``like'' interactions and time of bookmarking. This dataset allows unprecedented analysis of online behavior and human-machine engagement patterns. Notably, it provides ground-truth data for studying the effects of content exposure and self-selection and performing content virality and diffusion analysis.
Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Design and Testing: A Comprehensive Review of AR and VR Integration
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2024
Year: 2024

This comprehensive literature review explores the potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies to enhance the design and testing of autonomous vehicles. By analyzing existing research, the review aims to identify how AR and VR can be leveraged to improve various aspects of autonomous vehicle development, including: creating more realistic and comprehensive testing environments, facilitating the design of user centered interfaces, and safely evaluating driver behavior in complex scenarios. Ultimately, the review highlights AR and VR utilization as a key driver in the development of adaptable testing environments, fostering more dependable autonomous vehicle technology, and ultimately propelling significant advancements within the field.
GSTalker: Real-time Audio-Driven Talking Face Generation via Deformable Gaussian Splatting
Venue: arXiv cs.CV 2024
Year: 2024

We present GStalker, a 3D audio-driven talking face generation model with Gaussian Splatting for both fast training (40 minutes) and real-time rendering (125 FPS) with a 3$\sim$5 minute video for training material, in comparison with previous 2D and 3D NeRF-based modeling frameworks which require hours of training and seconds of rendering per frame. Specifically, GSTalker learns an audio-driven Gaussian deformation field to translate and transform 3D Gaussians to synchronize with audio information, in which multi-resolution hashing grid-based tri-plane and temporal smooth module are incorporated to learn accurate deformation for fine-grained facial details. In addition, a pose-conditioned deformation field is designed to model the stabilized torso. To enable efficient optimization of the condition Gaussian deformation field, we initialize 3D Gaussians by learning a coarse static Gaussian representation. Extensive experiments in person-specific videos with audio tracks validate that GSTalker can generate high-fidelity and audio-lips synchronized results with fast training and real-time rendering speed.
SuperCLUE-Fin: Graded Fine-Grained Analysis of Chinese LLMs on Diverse Financial Tasks and Applications
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

The SuperCLUE-Fin (SC-Fin) benchmark is a pioneering evaluation framework tailored for Chinese-native financial large language models (FLMs). It assesses FLMs across six financial application domains and twenty-five specialized tasks, encompassing theoretical knowledge and practical applications such as compliance, risk management, and investment analysis. Using multi-turn, open-ended conversations that mimic real-life scenarios, SC-Fin measures models on a range of criteria, including accurate financial understanding, logical reasoning, clarity, computational efficiency, business acumen, risk perception, and compliance with Chinese regulations. In a rigorous evaluation involving over a thousand questions, SC-Fin identifies a performance hierarchy where domestic models like GLM-4 and MoonShot-v1-128k outperform others with an A-grade, highlighting the potential for further development in transforming theoretical knowledge into pragmatic financial solutions. This benchmark serves as a critical tool for refining FLMs in the Chinese context, directing improvements in financial knowledge databases, standardizing financial interpretations, and promoting models that prioritize compliance, risk management, and secure practices. We create a contextually relevant and comprehensive benchmark that drives the development of AI in the Chinese financial sector. SC-Fin facilitates the advancement and responsible deployment of FLMs, offering valuable insights for enhancing model performance and usability for both individual and institutional users in the Chinese market..~\footnote{Our benchmark can be found at \url{https://www.CLUEbenchmarks.com}}.
Exploring the Capability of LLMs in Performing Low-Level Visual Analytic Tasks on SVG Data Visualizations
Venue: arXiv cs.HC 2024
Year: 2024

Data visualizations help extract insights from datasets, but reaching these insights requires decomposing high level goals into low-level analytic tasks that can be complex due to varying degrees of data literacy and visualization experience. Recent advancements in large language models (LLMs) have shown promise for lowering barriers for users to achieve tasks such as writing code and may likewise facilitate visualization insight. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), a text-based image format common in data visualizations, matches well with the text sequence processing of transformer-based LLMs. In this paper, we explore the capability of LLMs to perform 10 low-level visual analytic tasks defined by Amar, Eagan, and Stasko directly on SVG-based visualizations. Using zero-shot prompts, we instruct the models to provide responses or modify the SVG code based on given visualizations. Our findings demonstrate that LLMs can effectively modify existing SVG visualizations for some tasks like Cluster but perform poorly on tasks requiring mathematical operations like Compute Derived Value. We also discovered that LLM performance can vary based on factors such as the number of data points, the presence of value labels, and the chart type. Our findings contribute to gauging the general capabilities of LLMs and highlight the need for further exploration and development to fully harness their potential in supporting visual analytic tasks.
Hidden Synergy: $L_1$ Weight Normalization and 1-Path-Norm Regularization
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2024
Year: 2024

We present PSiLON Net, an MLP architecture that uses $L_1$ weight normalization for each weight vector and shares the length parameter across the layer. The 1-path-norm provides a bound for the Lipschitz constant of a neural network and reflects on its generalizability, and we show how PSiLON Net's design drastically simplifies the 1-path-norm, while providing an inductive bias towards efficient learning and near-sparse parameters. We propose a pruning method to achieve exact sparsity in the final stages of training, if desired. To exploit the inductive bias of residual networks, we present a simplified residual block, leveraging concatenated ReLU activations. For networks constructed with such blocks, we prove that considering only a subset of possible paths in the 1-path-norm is sufficient to bound the Lipschitz constant. Using the 1-path-norm and this improved bound as regularizers, we conduct experiments in the small data regime using overparameterized PSiLON Nets and PSiLON ResNets, demonstrating reliable optimization and strong performance.
Effects of Added Emphasis and Pause in Audio Delivery of Health Information
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

Health literacy is crucial to supporting good health and is a major national goal. Audio delivery of information is becoming more popular for informing oneself. In this study, we evaluate the effect of audio enhancements in the form of information emphasis and pauses with health texts of varying difficulty and we measure health information comprehension and retention. We produced audio snippets from difficult and easy text and conducted the study on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Our findings suggest that emphasis matters for both information comprehension and retention. When there is no added pause, emphasizing significant information can lower the perceived difficulty for difficult and easy texts. Comprehension is higher (54%) with correctly placed emphasis for the difficult texts compared to not adding emphasis (50%). Adding a pause lowers perceived difficulty and can improve retention but adversely affects information comprehension.
Multi-Source Encapsulation With Guaranteed Convergence Using Minimalist Robots
Venue: arXiv cs.RO 2024
Year: 2024

We present a decentralized control algorithm for a minimalist robotic swarm lacking memory, explicit communication, or relative position information, to encapsulate multiple diffusive target sources in a bounded environment. The state-of-the-art approaches generally require either local communication or relative localization to provide guarantees of convergence and safety. We quantify trade-offs between task, control, and robot parameters for guaranteed safe convergence to all the sources. Furthermore, our algorithm is robust to occlusions and noise in the sensor measurements as we demonstrate in simulation.
RTF: Region-based Table Filling Method for Relational Triple Extraction
Venue: arXiv cs.CL 2024
Year: 2024

Relational triple extraction is crucial work for the automatic construction of knowledge graphs. Existing methods only construct shallow representations from a token or token pair-level. However, previous works ignore local spatial dependencies of relational triples, resulting in a weakness of entity pair boundary detection. To tackle this problem, we propose a novel Region-based Table Filling method (RTF). We devise a novel region-based tagging scheme and bi-directional decoding strategy, which regard each relational triple as a region on the relation-specific table, and identifies triples by determining two endpoints of each region. We also introduce convolution to construct region-level table representations from a spatial perspective which makes triples easier to be captured. In addition, we share partial tagging scores among different relations to improve learning efficiency of relation classifier. Experimental results show that our method achieves state-of-the-art with better generalization capability on three variants of two widely used benchmark datasets.