Benchmarking Large Language Models for Cross-Domain Hate Speech Detection

Core Concepts

Large language models offer significant advantages over state-of-the-art models for hate speech detection, even without fine-tuning. Fine-tuning can further improve performance, but the effects depend on the specific model and dataset characteristics.

Abstract

The study investigates the effectiveness and adaptability of pre-trained and fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) in identifying hate speech across different domains. The key findings are:

Using LLMs, even without fine-tuning, significantly improves the self-domain and cross-domain performance on hate speech detection datasets compared to previously available best models.

Fine-tuning the Vicuna-7B model improves cross-domain performance for 7 out of 9 datasets, while fine-tuning the LLaMA-7B model improves cross-domain performance for 5 out of 9 datasets.

Label imbalance is a key factor determining model generalizability, with fine-grained hate speech labels mattering more for smaller training datasets.

Fine-tuning or training on Facebook or YouTube data appears to adversely impact model performance, more so in the case of YouTube than Facebook.

The study provides a comprehensive benchmarking framework for evaluating LLMs on hate speech detection tasks and offers insights to guide future research in this domain.

Stats

"LLMs offer a huge advantage over the state-of-the-art even without pretraining."
"The advantage of training with fine-grained hate speech labels is greater for smaller training datasets but washed away with the increase in dataset size."
"Models fine-tuned on the Gab dataset had the best cross-domain generalizability, except in the case of ICWSM (sourced from Twitter), where a model fine-tuned on HASOC, also sourced from Twitter, performed the best."

Quotes

"Our findings suggest that cross-domain fine-tuning is nearly always beneficial for greater precision on a known target dataset."
"While models like Vicuna-7B, when fine-tuned, consistently outperform their base versions across various datasets, this is not the case with LLaMA-7B."

Key Insights Distilled From

LLMs and Finetuning

by Ahmad Nasir,... at arxiv.org 04-02-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.18964.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How can the insights from this study be applied to develop more robust and generalizable hate speech detection models for real-world deployment?

The insights from this study can be instrumental in enhancing the robustness and generalizability of hate speech detection models for real-world deployment. By understanding the impact of factors such as label distribution, dataset size, and fine-tuning on model performance, researchers and developers can tailor their approaches to improve model effectiveness. For instance, the study highlights the importance of fine-tuning models on enriched datasets to enhance predictive advantage. This suggests that incorporating diverse and representative data during model training can lead to better performance across different domains. Additionally, the findings emphasize the significance of label diversity in effective fine-tuning, indicating that models trained on datasets with balanced label distributions tend to generalize better.
To apply these insights effectively, developers can focus on strategies such as incorporating diverse training data, optimizing label distributions, and fine-tuning models on relevant datasets. By leveraging these approaches, hate speech detection models can be fine-tuned to perform well across various platforms and contexts, ultimately improving their real-world deployment and effectiveness in combating harmful online content.

What are the potential ethical concerns and limitations of relying solely on AI-inferred predictions of hate speech, and how can they be addressed?

Relying solely on AI-inferred predictions of hate speech poses several ethical concerns and limitations that need to be addressed. One major concern is the potential for bias in the models, leading to inaccurate or unfair classifications of content. AI models trained on biased data can perpetuate existing societal biases and stereotypes, impacting marginalized communities disproportionately. Moreover, there is a risk of misclassification, where benign content is mistakenly flagged as hate speech, leading to censorship and infringement on free speech.
To address these ethical concerns and limitations, it is crucial to prioritize transparency and accountability in AI systems. Developers should implement explainable AI techniques to understand how models arrive at their decisions, enabling users to interpret and challenge the outcomes. Additionally, continuous monitoring and evaluation of AI models for bias and fairness are essential to mitigate discriminatory outcomes. Incorporating diverse and inclusive datasets during model training can help reduce bias and improve the model's ability to detect hate speech accurately.
Furthermore, it is essential to involve multidisciplinary teams, including ethicists, sociologists, and community representatives, in the development and deployment of AI systems for hate speech detection. Collaborative efforts can ensure that ethical considerations are integrated into the design process, promoting responsible AI deployment and mitigating potential harms.

How can the benchmarking framework be extended to incorporate other modalities (e.g., images, videos) and multilingual hate speech detection?

To extend the benchmarking framework to incorporate other modalities such as images, videos, and multilingual hate speech detection, researchers can adopt a multi-modal approach that integrates different data types and languages into the evaluation process. This expansion can enhance the versatility and applicability of hate speech detection models across diverse content formats and linguistic contexts.
One approach is to develop hybrid models that combine text-based analysis with image and video processing techniques to detect hate speech across multiple modalities. By training models on multi-modal datasets that include text, images, and videos, researchers can create more comprehensive and robust detection systems capable of identifying hate speech in various forms of content.
For multilingual hate speech detection, researchers can leverage cross-lingual models and datasets to train models that can understand and classify hate speech in different languages. By incorporating diverse linguistic data and considering cultural nuances, the benchmarking framework can be extended to evaluate the performance of multilingual hate speech detection models accurately.
Overall, the extension of the benchmarking framework to include other modalities and multilingual capabilities requires the integration of diverse datasets, advanced modeling techniques, and rigorous evaluation methodologies to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of hate speech detection systems in a global context.