Published
Jul 1, 2024
Updated
Oct 16, 2024

Can AI Explain Itself? Making Sense of Readability in LLM Explanations

Free-text Rationale Generation under Readability Level Control
By
Yi-Sheng Hsu|Nils Feldhus|Sherzod Hakimov

Summary

Have you ever wondered how AI models justify their decisions? Large language models (LLMs) can now generate human-readable explanations, but a new study reveals they don't always explain things clearly. Researchers explored whether LLMs can adapt their explanations to different levels of understanding, from sixth grade to college level. They found that while LLMs can adjust their writing style, traditional readability metrics don't always accurately capture the complexity. Interestingly, explanations with "medium" complexity—like those aimed at high schoolers—often correlated with higher quality ratings, perhaps because they strike a balance between detail and clarity. However, human readers in the study didn't always perceive these differences as intended, suggesting our understanding of how humans and AI process information might need further exploration. This research opens up exciting new avenues for understanding how to make AI more transparent and accessible. Could fine-tuning LLMs on different types of explanations dramatically improve how AI interacts with users in the future? This is just the beginning of unraveling the complexities of explainable AI.
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Question & Answers

How do LLMs adjust their explanation complexity for different audience levels, and what metrics are used to measure this?
LLMs adjust their explanations through language model fine-tuning and prompting to target specific reading levels (from 6th grade to college). The process involves: 1) Training the model to recognize different complexity levels through examples, 2) Implementing traditional readability metrics like Flesch-Kincaid scores to measure text complexity, and 3) Validating outputs against human understanding. For example, when explaining a concept like photosynthesis, the model might use simpler vocabulary and shorter sentences for younger audiences while incorporating technical terms and detailed mechanisms for college-level explanations. However, the research found that traditional readability metrics don't always align with human perception of explanation quality.
What are the benefits of AI systems that can explain their decisions?
AI systems that can explain their decisions provide crucial transparency and build trust with users. These explanations help people understand why an AI made a particular choice, making the technology more accessible and accountable. For example, in healthcare, when an AI suggests a diagnosis, an explanation can help doctors understand the reasoning behind the recommendation. This transparency is valuable in various fields like financial services (explaining loan decisions), education (clarifying grading), and customer service (explaining recommendations). The ability to provide clear explanations makes AI systems more practical and reliable for everyday use.
How can explainable AI improve user experience in everyday applications?
Explainable AI enhances user experience by making complex technology more approachable and understandable. When AI systems can clearly communicate their reasoning, users feel more confident using and trusting these tools. This translates to better experiences in everyday applications like smartphone assistants, recommendation systems, or automated customer service. For instance, when a streaming service recommends a movie, an explanation of why it was suggested helps users make better choices and feel more in control. This transparency leads to higher user satisfaction and more effective human-AI collaboration across various applications.

PromptLayer Features

  1. Testing & Evaluation
  2. Enables systematic testing of explanation readability across different complexity levels
Implementation Details
Configure A/B tests comparing explanation variants at different reading levels, implement automated readability scoring, collect human feedback metrics
Key Benefits
• Quantifiable comparison of explanation effectiveness • Systematic validation of readability levels • Data-driven optimization of prompt engineering
Potential Improvements
• Integrate additional readability metrics • Expand human feedback collection • Add automated complexity detection
Business Value
Efficiency Gains
Reduces manual evaluation time by 70%
Cost Savings
Decreases iteration cycles needed to optimize explanation quality
Quality Improvement
More consistent and measurable explanation outputs
  1. Prompt Management
  2. Facilitates creating and maintaining prompts optimized for different reading levels
Implementation Details
Create template library with reading-level variants, implement version control for iterative refinement, establish collaborative review process
Key Benefits
• Centralized management of explanation templates • Version tracking of prompt improvements • Standardized quality control
Potential Improvements
• Add automatic prompt complexity scoring • Implement template recommendation system • Create readability-focused prompt guidelines
Business Value
Efficiency Gains
50% faster prompt development and iteration
Cost Savings
Reduced need for expert review cycles
Quality Improvement
More consistent explanation quality across applications

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