Memorization Without Overfitting: Analyzing the Training Dynamics of Large Language Models
read the original abstract
Despite their wide adoption, the underlying training and memorization dynamics of very large language models is not well understood. We empirically study exact memorization in causal and masked language modeling, across model sizes and throughout the training process. We measure the effects of dataset size, learning rate, and model size on memorization, finding that larger language models memorize training data faster across all settings. Surprisingly, we show that larger models can memorize a larger portion of the data before over-fitting and tend to forget less throughout the training process. We also analyze the memorization dynamics of different parts of speech and find that models memorize nouns and numbers first; we hypothesize and provide empirical evidence that nouns and numbers act as a unique identifier for memorizing individual training examples. Together, these findings present another piece of the broader puzzle of trying to understand what actually improves as models get bigger.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 7 Pith papers
-
Pythia: A Suite for Analyzing Large Language Models Across Training and Scaling
Pythia releases 16 identically trained LLMs with full checkpoints and data tools to study training dynamics, scaling, memorization, and bias in language models.
-
Natural Ungrokking: Asymmetric Control of Which Rules Survive Pretraining
During pretraining, language models exhibit natural ungrokking where learned rules are forgotten based on their support frequency in the corpus, with asymmetric editability of rule survival.
-
Weibull Weight-Scale Parameter Evolution under AdamW Training Dynamics
Derives three-force decomposition of squared weight norm under AdamW and validates it on Pythia-70M models, plus spline recovery of alignment force from checkpoints.
-
NumLeak: Public Numeric Benchmarks as Latent Labels in Foundation Models
NumLeak detects high-fidelity recall of public numeric time series in frontier LLMs, with correlations of 0.97-0.99 on Fama-French data and similar patterns on economic indicators.
-
Asking Back: Interaction-Layer Antidistillation Watermarks
Interaction-layer antidistillation watermarks use system-prompt-induced behavioral markers like explicit follow-up questions that transfer to distilled student models at 45-89% relative fidelity and can be audited via...
-
DUET: Optimizing Training Data Mixtures via Feedback from Unseen Evaluation Tasks
DUET is a global-to-local method that optimizes LLM training data mixtures via Bayesian optimization guided by influence-based selection and feedback from unseen evaluation tasks, with a regret bound showing convergen...
-
Self-RAG: Learning to Retrieve, Generate, and Critique through Self-Reflection
Self-RAG trains LLMs to adaptively retrieve passages on demand and self-critique using reflection tokens, outperforming ChatGPT and retrieval-augmented Llama2 on QA, reasoning, and fact verification.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.