Understanding Task Representations in Neural Networks via Bayesian Ablation

Neural networks are powerful tools for cognitive modeling due to their flexibility and emergent properties. However, interpreting their learned representations remains challenging due to their sub-symbolic semantics. In this work, we introduce a novel probabilistic framework for interpreting latent task representations in neural networks. Inspired by Bayesian inference, our approach defines a distribution over representational units to infer their causal contributions to task performance. Using ideas from information theory, we propose a suite of tools and metrics to illuminate key model properties, including representational distributedness, manifold complexity, and polysemanticity.

@article{nam2025_2505.13742,
  title={ Understanding Task Representations in Neural Networks via Bayesian Ablation },
  author={ Andrew Nam and Declan Campbell and Thomas Griffiths and Jonathan Cohen and Sarah-Jane Leslie },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.13742},
  year={ 2025 }
}