模拟视角的几何结构:在多模态语言模型中分离表征与行为
The Geometry of Simulated Perspectives: Dissociating Representation and Behaviour in a Multimodal Language Model
Mathis Immertreu, Fitim Abdullahu, Thomas Kinfe, Claus Metzner, Helmut Grabner, Patrick Krauss, Achim Schilling
AI 速读 基于摘要
作者报告在 Qwen3-VL-8B-Instruct 中,人格提示的措辞比人格身份更强地改变内部表征,而人格内容对行为评分影响更大,呈现表征与行为的分离。
cs.AI · cs.CL · cs.CV
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Multimodal language models can simulate different observers, yet it remains unclear how assigned perspectives reshape their internal representations and whether these changes govern their judgements. Here, we investigate the representational geometry of persona-conditioned visual interestingness in Qwen3-VL-8B-Instruct. Across 100 images and 53 prompting conditions, we systematically vary persona content and the linguistic framing used to introduce it, while recording behavioural ratings and layer-wise hidden states. We observe a systematic reorganisation of representational geometry across processing depth: early layers primarily encode image identity, whereas persona-specific structures emerge in later layers. Strikingly, prompt framing reshapes internal representations more strongly than persona identity, whereas persona content has a greater impact on behavioural judgements. This dissociation is further illustrated by minimal identity statements that alter representations even without changing responses. These findings demonstrate that representational distance does not necessarily reflect behavioural relevance. More broadly, they reveal how simulated perspectives emerge as distinct structures within the representational space of artificial cognitive systems, highlighting a fundamental distinction between the geometry of internal representations and their functional consequences.