Evaluating large language models trained on code

Building agricultural database for farmersChatGPTJan 12, 2024

Mark Chen
2 min readintermediate
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Overview

The article discusses the evaluation of large language models trained on code, specifically focusing on Codex, a model fine-tuned on publicly available code from GitHub. It highlights the model's performance in generating Python code and its capabilities in solving programming problems compared to other models.

What You'll Learn

1

How to utilize Codex for generating Python code

2

Why repeated sampling improves solution generation from language models

3

When to apply Codex for synthesizing programs from docstrings

Key Questions Answered

What is Codex and how does it relate to GitHub Copilot?
Codex is a GPT language model fine-tuned on publicly available code from GitHub, and it powers GitHub Copilot, which assists developers by suggesting code snippets and completing code based on context.
How effective is Codex in solving programming problems?
On the HumanEval evaluation set, Codex solves 28.8% of the problems, significantly outperforming GPT-3, which solves 0%, and GPT-J, which solves 11.4%. This demonstrates Codex's enhanced capabilities in code synthesis.
What limitations does Codex have in code generation?
Codex struggles with understanding docstrings that describe long chains of operations and has difficulty binding operations to variables. This highlights the areas where further improvements are needed in its training.

Key Statistics & Figures

Problem-solving success rate of Codex
28.8%
This rate was achieved on the HumanEval evaluation set, showcasing Codex's ability to generate functional code.
Problem-solving success rate of GPT-3
0%
This statistic highlights the significant improvement Codex offers over previous models in code synthesis.
Problem-solving success rate of GPT-J
11.4%
This comparison further emphasizes Codex's advanced capabilities in generating code.
Success rate with repeated sampling
70.2%
By using 100 samples per problem, Codex's success rate improves significantly, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.

Technologies & Tools

AI/ML
Codex
Codex is used for generating Python code and assisting developers through code suggestions.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Leverage Codex for automating repetitive coding tasks to enhance productivity.
Using Codex can significantly speed up the development process by generating boilerplate code and suggesting solutions, allowing developers to focus on more complex problems.
2
Implement repeated sampling when using Codex to increase the likelihood of obtaining correct solutions.
This method has been shown to improve the success rate of solving difficult programming prompts, making it a valuable strategy for developers working with Codex.

Common Pitfalls

1
Codex may produce incorrect solutions when faced with complex prompts or long docstrings.
This occurs due to limitations in its training data and understanding, which can lead to unexpected results. Developers should be cautious and validate outputs when using Codex for intricate tasks.