Tuning-Free Accountable Intervention for LLM Deployment -- A Metacognitive Approach

Abstract

Large Language Models (LLMs) have catalyzed transformative advances across a spectrum of natural language processing tasks through few-shot or zero-shot prompting, bypassing the need for parameter tuning. While convenient, this modus operandi aggravates ``hallucination'' concerns, particularly given the enigmatic ``black-box'' nature behind their gigantic model sizes. Such concerns are exacerbated in high-stakes applications (e.g., healthcare), where unaccountable decision errors can lead to devastating consequences. In contrast, human decision-making relies on nuanced cognitive processes, such as the ability to sense and adaptively correct misjudgments through conceptual understanding. Drawing inspiration from human cognition, we propose an innovative metacognitive approach, dubbed CLEAR, to equip LLMs with capabilities for self-aware error identification and correction. Our framework facilitates the construction of concept-specific sparse subnetworks that illuminate transparent decision pathways. This provides a novel interface for model intervention after deployment. Our intervention offers compelling advantages: (i)~at deployment or inference time, our metacognitive LLMs can self-consciously identify potential mispredictions with minimum human involvement, (ii)~the model has the capability to self-correct its errors efficiently, obviating the need for additional tuning, and (iii)~the rectification procedure is not only self-explanatory but also user-friendly, enhancing the interpretability and accessibility of the model. By integrating these metacognitive features, our approach pioneers a new path toward engendering greater trustworthiness and accountability in the deployment of LLMs.

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