Google LLMs Can Master Tools by Just Reading Documentation

In the age of rapid technological advancement, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making remarkable strides that sometimes seem almost human-like. Google’s researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking achievement – Large Language Models (LLMs) can now harness Machine Learning (ML) models and APIs with the mere aid of tool documentation. This revelation has sparked discussions about the convergence of AI and human-like capabilities.

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The Audrey Effect: Teaching AI to Ride Bikes

Imagine teaching a four-year-old named Audrey to ride a bike. You start with training wheels, guide her through various scenarios, and eventually, Audrey rides confidently. Similarly, researchers at Google introduced LLMs to tools’ functionalities through documentation, enabling them to operate these tools without prior training. It’s as if Audrey learned to ride a bike by reading about it in a book—impressive and independent.

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From Demos to Docs: Teaching AI in a New Light

Historically, AI models learned tools through demonstrations (demos), where numerous examples were required. Google’s breakthrough shifts the approach. They taught LLMs using tool documentation (docs), describing tool functionalities rather than demonstrating each use case. This new method aims to scale AI’s understanding of tools and empower it to explore their functionalities more effectively.

AI’s Graduation: A Multitude of Tasks

To assess the power of this novel approach, Google researchers engaged LLMs in various tasks, including multi-modal question answering, tabular math reasoning, multi-modal reasoning, unseen usage of APIs, image editing, and video tracking. The model, known as ChatGPT, was put through its paces, and the results were nothing short of astonishing.

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Performance Unveiled: Tools + Docs vs. Demos

Google’s experiments unveiled the impact of documentation on LLMs’ performance. When armed with tool documentation, the model’s performance remained steady even as the number of demonstrations decreased. However, without tool documentation, the model’s performance became vulnerable to variations in the number of demos. This showcases documentation’s pivotal role in equipping AI models with versatile tool utilization.

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AI’s Remarkable Feat: The Power of Tool Documentation

Notably, tool documentation is a game-changer for the training and development of artificial intelligence. Researchers demonstrated that LLMs, fueled solely by tool documentation, can adeptly use recent vision models for tasks like image editing and video tracking. This achievement simplifies tool usage and hints at AI’s potential for autonomous knowledge discovery. However, the performance dips when the document length exceeds 600 words, underlining the model’s limitations.

A Glimpse into the Future: Implications and Discoveries

Beyond tool usage, Google’s findings imply a leap toward automatic knowledge discovery through tool documentation. This research bridges the gap between AI’s cognitive abilities and tool utilization. By replicating popular projects without additional demonstrations, AI’s future seems limitless, potentially revealing new dimensions in its reasoning capabilities.

Our Say

Google’s research showcases AI’s remarkable evolution, pushing the boundaries of what seemed possible. As artificial intelligence masters ML models and APIs through tool documentation, it not only paves the way for increased efficiency but also unravels the potential for self-discovery within AI systems. The intersection of AI and tool documentation marks a significant step towards a realm where human-like capabilities meet technological prowess.

K.C. Sabreena Basheer

Sabreena Basheer is an architect-turned-writer who's passionate about documenting anything that interests her. She's currently exploring the world of AI and Data Science as a Content Manager at Analytics Vidhya.