Interpretable and Steerable Concept Bottleneck Sparse Autoencoders

arXiv — cs.LGFriday, December 12, 2025 at 5:00:00 AM
  • Sparse autoencoders (SAEs) have been identified as a promising method for mechanistic interpretability and concept discovery in large language models (LLMs) and large vision-language models (LVLMs). However, a recent study reveals that many SAE neurons lack interpretability or steerability, which limits their effectiveness. To address these issues, the Concept Bottleneck Sparse Autoencoders (CB-SAE) framework has been proposed to enhance the utility of these models by pruning ineffective neurons and augmenting the latent space with desired concepts.
  • The introduction of CB-SAE is significant as it aims to improve the practical applicability of sparse autoencoders in AI systems. By ensuring that the features learned are both interpretable and steerable, this framework could facilitate better model steering and concept discovery, ultimately enhancing the performance of LLMs and LVLMs in real-world applications.
  • This development reflects a broader trend in AI research focusing on enhancing interpretability and control in machine learning models. Various approaches, such as Ordered Sparse Autoencoders and AlignSAE, are being explored to improve feature consistency and align model outputs with defined ontologies. These advancements highlight ongoing efforts to address the challenges of unsupervised learning in sparse autoencoders and the need for models that can effectively integrate user-desired concepts.
— via World Pulse Now AI Editorial System

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