aiqbench analysis
LAYERSCOPE introduces a label-free framework for analyzing learned representations in video and multimodal models, eliminating the need for extensive task-specific evaluations. By leveraging geometric metrics to compare layer structures across diverse architectures, it reveals that intermediate layers can often outperform final-layer outputs without requiring new labeled data. This systematic approach offers researchers a more efficient method for evaluating model internals in complex visual and text-to-video tasks.
LAYERSCOPE: A Layerwise Characterization of Video and Multimodal Learned Representations
arXiv:2609.28086v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We propose LAYERSCOPE, a label-free, layerwise framework that aims to characterize a model's learned representations in video and multimodal settings. Evaluating downstream performance using representations from final or intermediate layers typically requires large amounts of labeled data, repeated task-specific evaluations, and substantial computation. To address these limitations, LAYERSCOPE uses local, global, distributional, and correspondence-based geometric metrics to compare layerwise representation structure within and across models without requiring task-specific labels. We evaluate seven architecturally diverse models across video and multimodal classification, clustering, and text-to-video retrieval tasks from MVEB/MVEB+. We find that intermediate-layer representations can outperform final-layer and model-default outputs. We also find that no single geometric metric consistently predicts downstream performance, but note that distinct layerwise geometric signatures emerge across model families. LID shows task-dependent relationships with performance, while RankMe provides the strongest measure for classification and clustering, but is not a universal layer selector. We also find that pairing-aware metrics explain retrieval better than distributional distances alone. LAYERSCOPE therefore offers a framework for comparing representations across models and layers, enabling a more systematic evaluation in video and multimodal settings.
Abstract:We propose LAYERSCOPE, a label-free, layerwise framework that aims to characterize a model's learned representations in video and multimodal settings. Evaluating downstream performance using representations from final or intermediate layers typically requires large amounts of labeled data, repeated task-specific evaluations, and substantial computation. To address these limitations, LAYERSCOPE uses local, global, distributional, and correspondence-based geometric metrics to compare layerwise representation structure within and across models without requiring task-specific labels. We evaluate seven architecturally diverse models across video and multimodal classification, clustering, and text-to-video retrieval tasks from MVEB/MVEB+. We find that intermediate-layer representations can outperform final-layer and model-default outputs. We also find that no single geometric metric consistently predicts downstream performance, but note that distinct layerwise geometric signatures emerge across model families. LID shows task-dependent relationships with performance, while RankMe provides the strongest measure for classification and clustering, but is not a universal layer selector. We also find that pairing-aware metrics explain retrieval better than distributional distances alone. LAYERSCOPE therefore offers a framework for comparing representations across models and layers, enabling a more systematic evaluation in video and multimodal settings.
Machine Learning (cs.LG); Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI); Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
arXiv:2609.28086 [cs.LG]
(or arXiv:2609.28086v1 [cs.LG] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.28086 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
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