analiza aiqbench
This research addresses the critical challenge of catastrophic forgetting in language models by introducing "long-horizon memorization," where systems must retain information across 100 sequential updates without access to prior training data. The study demonstrates that composing complementary mechanisms—specifically merging LoRA adapters with data, function, and weight anchors—yields a 28-fold improvement in retention rates compared to naive fine-tuning. These findings offer a significant technical advance for building robust AI systems capable of continuous learning over extended periods.
Continual Learning Mechanisms Compose for Long-Horizon Memorization
arXiv:2609.06986v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Language models may need to internalize information that arrives over time and retain it through many subsequent updates. To study this challenge, we introduce long-horizon memorization, a setting in which a model learns 100 query-answer tasks through continual supervised fine-tuning without retaining earlier training examples or receiving task identifiers at inference. Sequential updates cause catastrophic forgetting, and no single continual learning mechanism we evaluate maintains strong retention at this horizon. We hypothesize that mechanisms addressing complementary sources of forgetting will be more effective when composed. We organize these compositions along two design dimensions. Data, function, and weight anchors specify what prior information each update should preserve, while low-rank allocation rules determine where successive updates are retained. To test this hypothesis systematically, we construct three distinct 100-task memorization datasets. We introduce task-level successive halving to search the combinatorial design space and use a factorial experiment to measure individual and interaction effects. Our best method combines all three anchors with merged LoRA, ranks among the top 3 methods in all datasets, and raises average final retention from 1.2% under naive sequential fine-tuning to 34.9%, a 28-fold improvement. The data anchor and merged LoRA provide the largest average gains and interact super-additively on all three datasets. Together, these results show that composing complementary mechanisms substantially improves long-horizon memorization beyond what any individual mechanism achieves.
Abstract:Language models may need to internalize information that arrives over time and retain it through many subsequent updates. To study this challenge, we introduce long-horizon memorization, a setting in which a model learns 100 query-answer tasks through continual supervised fine-tuning without retaining earlier training examples or receiving task identifiers at inference. Sequential updates cause catastrophic forgetting, and no single continual learning mechanism we evaluate maintains strong retention at this horizon. We hypothesize that mechanisms addressing complementary sources of forgetting will be more effective when composed. We organize these compositions along two design dimensions. Data, function, and weight anchors specify what prior information each update should preserve, while low-rank allocation rules determine where successive updates are retained. To test this hypothesis systematically, we construct three distinct 100-task memorization datasets. We introduce task-level successive halving to search the combinatorial design space and use a factorial experiment to measure individual and interaction effects. Our best method combines all three anchors with merged LoRA, ranks among the top 3 methods in all datasets, and raises average final retention from 1.2% under naive sequential fine-tuning to 34.9%, a 28-fold improvement. The data anchor and merged LoRA provide the largest average gains and interact super-additively on all three datasets. Together, these results show that composing complementary mechanisms substantially improves long-horizon memorization beyond what any individual mechanism achieves.
Machine Learning (cs.LG)
arXiv:2609.06986 [cs.LG]
(or arXiv:2609.06986v1 [cs.LG] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.06986 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.
Text integral sub licența deschisă a publicației · 315 cuvinte
Subiecte conexe
What's Continual Learning, and Why Might We Expect To See It In Advanced LLM Agents?
LessWrong · 12 iun. 2026
Synthesis Superintelligence: from Semiconductors to Superconductors — Periodic Labs’ Liam Fedus and Ekin Dogus Cubuk
Latent Space · 8 oct. 2026
Does preservation make sense before we know how to revive?
LessWrong · 15 iun. 2026
Continual Learning Bench: measuring whether AI systems actually improve with experience
Snorkel AI Blog · 21 aug. 2026