arXiv:2603.15919cs.CV2026-03

稀疏化不等于更易解释,视觉Transformer的稀疏结构并未提升可解释性。

Sparse but not Simpler: A Multi-Level Interpretability Analysis of Vision Transformers

  • 构建多层级可解释性评估框架IMPACT,覆盖神经元到模型层面
  • 稀疏模型电路边数减少2.5倍,但活跃节点比例未降低
  • 结果表明稀疏性不带来可解释性提升,需超越电路紧凑性的评估

稀疏神经网络常被认为比密集模型更具可解释性,源于语言模型中权重稀疏可产生紧凑计算通路的发现。然而,结构性稀疏是否真正提升语义可解释性尚不明确。本文系统评估了视觉Transformer中权重稀疏与可解释性的关系,采用Wanda方法对DeiT-III B/16模型进行剪枝。为全面评估,提出多层级框架IMPACT,涵盖四个互补层面:神经元、层表示、任务电路和模型级归因。层表示通过BatchTopK稀疏自编码器分析,电路通过可学习节点掩码提取,归因使用插入/删除指标评估。结果显示:稀疏模型电路边数约为密集模型的2.5倍少,但活跃节点比例相似甚至更高,表明剪枝仅重构计算分布而非形成更简单功能模块。在神经元选择性、SAE特征可解释性及归因忠实度方面,稀疏模型均无系统性提升。结论表明,结构性稀疏本身不能可靠提升视觉模型可解释性,强调需超越电路紧凑性的综合评估框架。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Sparse neural networks are often hypothesized to be more interpretable than dense models, motivated by findings that weight sparsity can produce compact circuits in language models. However, it remains unclear whether structural sparsity itself leads to improved semantic interpretability. In this work, we systematically evaluate the relationship between weight sparsity and interpretability in Vision Transformers using DeiT-III B/16 models pruned with Wanda. To assess interpretability comprehensively, we introduce \textbf{IMPACT}, a multi-level framework that evaluates interpretability across four complementary levels: neurons, layer representations, task circuits, and model-level attribution. Layer representations are analyzed using BatchTopK sparse autoencoders, circuits are extracted via learnable node masking, and explanations are evaluated with transformer attribution using insertion and deletion metrics. Our results reveal a clear structural effect but limited interpretability gains. Sparse models produce circuits with approximately $2.5\times$ fewer edges than dense models, yet the fraction of active nodes remains similar or higher, indicating that pruning redistributes computation rather than isolating simpler functional modules. Consistent with this observation, sparse models show no systematic improvements in neuron-level selectivity, SAE feature interpretability, or attribution faithfulness. These findings suggest that structural sparsity alone does not reliably yield more interpretable vision models, highlighting the importance of evaluation frameworks that assess interpretability beyond circuit compactness.

可解释性视觉Transformer稀疏化多层级评估

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