Visual Prompting in Multimodal Large Language Models: A Comprehensive Survey

Основні поняття

This paper presents a comprehensive survey on visual prompting methods in multimodal large language models (MLLMs), covering visual prompt generation, integration into MLLM perception and reasoning, and model alignment techniques.

Анотація

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of visual prompting methods in multimodal large language models (MLLMs). It categorizes different types of visual prompts, including bounding boxes, markers, pixel-level prompts, and soft visual prompts. The paper then discusses various visual prompt generation techniques, such as prompt engineering, visual segmentation, object detection, and learnable/soft visual prompts.
The survey also examines how visual prompting enhances MLLM's perception and reasoning capabilities. It covers improvements in visual grounding, referring, multi-image and video understanding, as well as 3D visual understanding. The paper highlights how visual prompting enables more controllable compositional reasoning in tasks like visual planning, reasoning, and action generation.
Finally, the survey summarizes model training and in-context learning methods that align MLLMs with visual prompts, addressing issues like hallucination and language bias. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in visual prompting for MLLMs and outlines future research directions in this emerging field.

Статистика

"Visual prompting methods can take heterogeneous forms for various tasks and often operate at pixel-level granularity, making instance-level visual prompt generation necessary."
"Several works also suggest that MLLMs can be misaligned with visual prompts, due to the lack of heterogeneous visual prompting training data during the pre-training stage."

Цитати

"Visual prompting methods have emerged as a new paradigm, complementing textual prompting and enabling more fine-grained and pixel-level instructions on multimodal input."
"Despite the success of visual prompting methods in augmenting MLLM's visual abilities, several works also suggest that MLLMs can be misaligned with visual prompts, due to the lack of heterogeneous visual prompting training data during the pre-training stage."

Ключові висновки, отримані з

Visual Prompting in Multimodal Large Language Models: A Survey

by Junda Wu, Zh... о arxiv.org 09-25-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2409.15310.pdf

Глибші Запити

How can visual prompting be extended to enable more complex multimodal reasoning and planning beyond the current capabilities?

To extend visual prompting for more complex multimodal reasoning and planning, several strategies can be employed. First, integrating advanced visual segmentation techniques, such as those used in OMG-LLaVA and SAM, can enhance the model's ability to understand intricate visual relationships and spatial contexts. By employing pixel-level prompts and object-centric visual tokens, models can achieve finer granularity in visual understanding, allowing for more nuanced reasoning about the relationships between objects in a scene.
Second, the development of iterative visual optimization methods, like PIVOT, can facilitate step-by-step reasoning processes. This approach allows models to refine their understanding of visual contexts iteratively, improving decision-making in dynamic environments. By combining visual prompts with contextual feedback mechanisms, models can adapt their responses based on previous interactions, leading to more sophisticated planning capabilities.
Third, leveraging transferable visual prompting techniques can enable models to generalize learned visual reasoning across different tasks and domains. This adaptability is crucial for real-world applications where visual contexts may vary significantly. By creating a unified framework that incorporates various visual prompting methods, models can better handle complex multimodal tasks, such as visual planning and action generation.
Finally, incorporating 3D visual understanding and spatial reasoning capabilities can further enhance multimodal reasoning. By utilizing datasets like LV3D and frameworks that support 3D scene comprehension, models can engage in more complex reasoning tasks that require an understanding of spatial relationships and object interactions in three-dimensional spaces.

What are the potential ethical and societal implications of deploying visual prompting techniques in real-world applications, and how can these be addressed?

The deployment of visual prompting techniques in real-world applications raises several ethical and societal implications. One significant concern is the potential for bias and misinterpretation in visual data processing. If models are trained on biased datasets, they may produce skewed or inaccurate outputs, leading to discrimination or misrepresentation of certain groups or contexts. To address this, it is essential to ensure that training datasets are diverse and representative, incorporating a wide range of visual contexts and cultural perspectives.
Another concern is the privacy of individuals captured in visual data. As visual prompting techniques often rely on analyzing images and videos, there is a risk of infringing on personal privacy rights. Implementing strict data governance policies, including anonymization techniques and informed consent protocols, can help mitigate these risks.
Moreover, the potential for misuse of visual prompting technologies in surveillance or manipulative applications poses ethical dilemmas. Establishing clear guidelines and regulations governing the use of these technologies is crucial to prevent abuse. Engaging stakeholders, including ethicists, policymakers, and community representatives, in the development and deployment processes can foster responsible use.
Lastly, the transparency of visual prompting systems is vital. Users should be informed about how these systems operate, the data they utilize, and the decision-making processes involved. Promoting transparency can build trust and accountability, ensuring that visual prompting technologies are used ethically and responsibly.

What novel applications and use cases could emerge from the continued advancement of visual prompting in multimodal large language models?

The continued advancement of visual prompting in multimodal large language models (MLLMs) could lead to a plethora of novel applications and use cases across various domains. One promising area is healthcare, where visual prompting can enhance diagnostic tools by enabling models to analyze medical images (e.g., X-rays, MRIs) and provide contextual insights or recommendations based on visual data. This could improve patient outcomes through more accurate and timely diagnoses.
In the realm of education, visual prompting can facilitate interactive learning experiences. For instance, MLLMs could analyze educational videos or images and generate tailored questions or explanations, enhancing student engagement and comprehension. This application could be particularly beneficial in remote learning environments, where personalized feedback is crucial.
Autonomous systems and robotics represent another exciting application area. By integrating visual prompting techniques, robots can better understand their environments, make informed decisions, and execute complex tasks, such as navigating through dynamic spaces or interacting with objects. This capability could revolutionize industries like logistics, manufacturing, and home automation.
In creative industries, visual prompting can assist in content generation, such as creating art, design, or multimedia presentations. MLLMs could analyze visual inputs and generate creative outputs that align with user-defined parameters, fostering collaboration between humans and AI in artistic endeavors.
Lastly, advancements in visual prompting could enhance augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. By enabling more intuitive interactions with virtual environments, MLLMs can provide users with contextual information and guidance based on their visual surroundings, leading to more immersive and engaging experiences in gaming, training simulations, and virtual tourism.
Overall, the evolution of visual prompting techniques in MLLMs holds the potential to transform numerous sectors, driving innovation and improving user experiences across diverse applications.