Teaching Task to Language models using: Zero Shot, One Shot & Few Shot

In this blog, we will discuss prompt engineering techniques used in working with large language models: zero-shot, one-shot, and few-shot learning. These methods aim to enable models to perform and learn new tasks quickly with little or no training data.

Zero-Shot Learning

Zero-shot learning refers to the ability of a language model to perform a task without having seen any examples from that specific task during training. This is particularly useful when there is a lack of labeled data for a given task. Large language models, like GPT-3, have shown remarkable capabilities in zero-shot learning by leveraging their vast knowledge and understanding of language.

Translate the following English text to French: 
'Hello, how are you?'

French:

One-Shot Learning

One-shot learning is a scenario where a model is provided with just one example from a new task and is expected to perform well on similar tasks. The model should be able to generalize from this single example and apply its knowledge to other instances. In the context of large language models, one-shot learning may involve providing the model with one example in the prompt.

Given the following date format conversion:
- '2022-09-24' -> 'September 24, 2022'

Convert the following date to the same format:
- '2023-05-12' -> ?

Few-Shot Learning

Few-shot learning refers to the ability of a language model to learn a new task by observing only a few examples from that task. This method aims to overcome the limitations of traditional supervised learning, which typically requires a large number of labeled examples. By providing a few examples in the prompt, the model can generalize from these examples to perform the given task.

Classify the following sentences as 'positive', 'negative', or 'neutral':
- 'I love this product.' -> 'positive'
- 'This is the worst experience I've ever had.' -> 'negative'

Classify the following sentence:
- 'It's an average day at work.' -> ?

Conclusion

In conclusion, zero-shot, one-shot, and few-shot learning are powerful techniques that enable large language models to adapt quickly to new tasks with minimal data. These approaches have the potential to revolutionize machine learning, making it more accessible and practical for a wide range of applications.