InterpretabilityResearch

Toy Models of Superposition

Sep 14, 2022
Read Paper

Abstract

In this paper, we use toy models — small ReLU networks trained on synthetic data with sparse input features — to investigate how and when models represent more features than they have dimensions. We call this phenomenon superposition. When features are sparse, superposition allows compression beyond what a linear model would do, at the cost of "interference" that requires nonlinear filtering.

Related content

Discovering cryptographic weaknesses with Claude

cryptographic algorithms. The first attack significantly weakens HAWK, a digital signature scheme that was built for a future world where quantum computers are able to break existing standards. The second identifies a new way to attack round-reduced AES, the most widely used symmetric cipher.

Read more

Project Pilot: Can AI control a drone?

Working with Andon Labs, we’ve developed a new series of evaluations that assess AI models’ ability to use a flying drone, culminating in a new benchmark: Drone-Bench.

Read more

How Canada uses Claude: Findings from the Anthropic Economic Index

Read more