2024

Calibration and Correctness of Language Models for Code

Spiess, Claudio, Gros, David, Pai, Kunal Suresh et al.

Understand

Machine learning models are widely used, but can also often be wrong.

  • Users would benefit from a reliable indication of whether a given output from a given model should be trusted, so a rational decision can be made whether to use the output or not.
  • For example, outputs can be associated with a confidence measure; if this confidence measure is strongly associated with likelihood of correctness, then the model is said to be well-calibrated.
  • A well-calibrated confidence measure can serve as a basis for rational, graduated decision-making on how much review and care is needed when using generated code.

Reading the bibliography…