用大脑认知机制优化大模型推理,省token不降精度
Cognitive Load-Aware Inference: A Neuro-Symbolic Framework for Optimizing the Token Economy of Large Language Models
- 借鉴认知负荷理论,将推理过程量化为三类负载指标
- 实测减少45%令牌消耗,复杂任务准确率不变
- 适合追求高效推理的AI系统开发者和研究者
大语言模型推理的计算成本日益成为其广泛可持续部署的关键障碍。现有优化方法多依赖统计启发式或架构修改,缺乏指导推理过程的认知理论。本文提出认知负荷感知推理(CLAI)框架,将认知负荷理论中的内在、外在与生成性负荷转化为可量化的模型指标(ICL_LLM、ECL_LLM、GCL_LLM),将推理重构为认知经济学优化问题:基于问题内在复杂度(ICL_LLM),最小化无效计算(ECL_LLM),并战略性分配令牌预算以促进有效推理(GCL_LLM)。提出两种实现路径:无需微调的CLAI-Prompt,通过结构化元提示引导基础模型进行认知控制;以及内化该原则的微调模型CLAI-Tune,实现自发问题分解。在复杂推理、长上下文问答与代码生成等基准上,方法显著降低令牌消耗(最高达45%),且不牺牲准确率。此外,CLAI-Tune展现出自主分解难题的能力,体现人类专家认知特征。本工作表明,模仿大脑资源管理策略可构建更高效、鲁棒且强大的AI系统。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
The escalating computational costs of Large Language Model (LLM) inference have become a critical barrier to their widespread and sustainable deployment. While existing optimization strategies are effective, they are predominantly based on statistical heuristics or architectural modifications, lacking a guiding cognitive theory to manage the inference process itself. This paper aims to bridge this gap by introducing a novel paradigm: the Cognitive Load-Aware Inference (CLAI) framework, which operationalizes principles from Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and neuroscience for LLM inference. We formalize the concepts of Intrinsic Cognitive Load, Extraneous Cognitive Load, and Germane Cognitive Load into quantifiable LLM metrics ($ICL_{LLM}$, $ECL_{LLM}$, and $GCL_{LLM}$), thereby reframing the inference process as a cognitive economics optimization problem: based on the intrinsic complexity of a problem ($ICL_{LLM}$), minimize wasteful computation ($ECL_{LLM}$), and strategically allocate the token budget to productive reasoning ($GCL_{LLM}$). We propose two implementation paths: CLAI-Prompt, a zero-shot method that guides a base LLM through cognitive control steps via a structured meta-prompt, and CLAI-Tune, a fine-tuned model that internalizes these principles for spontaneous cognitive economy. Across a range of benchmarks in complex reasoning, long-context question answering, and code generation, our methods achieve significant reductions in token consumption (up to 45\%) without sacrificing accuracy. Furthermore, CLAI-Tune exhibits an emergent ability to autonomously decompose difficult problems, a key characteristic of human expert cognition. This work demonstrates that by emulating the brain's resource management strategies, we can build more efficient, robust, and capable artificial intelligence systems.
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