In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, the development of agentic large language models (LLMs) marks a significant milestone. Our project, Agentic LLMs for AI Orchestration, is at the forefront of this innovation. We have engineered an advanced LLM capable of solving complex workflows by integrating computer vision, logic, and compute modules. By leveraging natural language task specifications, our LLM dynamically generates plans to execute tasks using available tools, translating these plans into Python programs that can be seamlessly synthesized and deployed. This adaptability is underpinned by our LLM’s ability to quickly assimilate new tools based on their documentation and code, a feature that sets it apart in the AI orchestration domain.

Agentic LLMs for AI Orchestration Blog Post Graphic

Vijay Kumar B G NEC Labs America“Integrating various modules such as computer vision and logic within the LLM framework allows for a more holistic approach to solving complex tasks. The ability to generate and deploy Python programs based on natural language specifications is a game-changer in the field of AI orchestration,” said Vijay Kumar B G, a Media Analytics department team member.

Project Overview
Our agentic LLM is designed to understand and execute complex workflows by employing a combination of cutting-edge techniques. The natural language task specification is the starting point, guiding the LLM to generate a coherent plan. This plan is then represented as a Python program, which is synthesized to deploy the necessary tools programmatically. The adaptability of our planner is one of its most significant strengths, allowing it to incorporate new tools efficiently by interpreting available documentation and code. This capability ensures that our LLM remains versatile and scalable, ready to tackle a wide range of tasks.

Our training methodology is innovative and efficient. By utilizing reinforced self-training with weak supervision, our LLM can learn and adapt quickly, with the added option of incorporating human feedback to refine its performance further. This approach not only enhances training efficiency but also ensures that our LLM outperforms its competitors on benchmark visual reasoning tasks despite using fewer parameters.

Samuel Schulter NEC Labs AmericaMedia Analytics department team member Samuel Schulter adds, “Our focus on reinforced self-training with weak supervision has been pivotal. It enables the LLM to adapt quickly and efficiently with minimal human intervention. This not only streamlines the workflow but also sets a new benchmark in AI performance.”

Our project is supported by four foundational research papers, each contributing critical insights and advancements to developing our agentic LLM.

  1. Self-Training Large Language Models for Improved Visual Program Synthesis With Visual Reinforcement: This paper explores visual program synthesis to leverage the reasoning capabilities of large language models for compositional computer vision tasks. The emphasis on training LLMs to write better visual programs highlights the potential for significant improvements in AI orchestration.
  1. Exploring Question Decomposition for Zero-Shot VQA: This paper investigates a question decomposition strategy for visual question answering (VQA) to address the limitations of treating VQA as a single-step task. The findings underscore the importance of nuanced question-answering strategies, integral to our LLM’s ability to handle complex workflows.
  1. Q: How to Specialize Large Vision-Language Models to Data-Scarce VQA Tasks? A: Self-Train on Unlabeled Images: This research focuses on finetuning large vision-language models on specialized datasets, particularly in scenarios where data is scarce. The self-training approach on unlabeled images is particularly relevant to our project, as it informs our methodology for training LLMs under constrained conditions.
  1. Single-Stream Multi-level Alignment for Vision-Language Pretraining: This paper highlights the effectiveness of self-supervised vision-language pretraining and discusses the limitations of dual-stream architectures and the benefits of fine-grained alignment. These insights are crucial for optimizing our LLM’s performance by integrating visual and language components.

Conclusion
The development of Agentic LLMs for AI Orchestration represents a significant advancement in artificial intelligence. By seamlessly integrating computer vision, logic, and compute modules, our LLM is poised to revolutionize the way complex workflows are managed and executed. Supported by robust research and driven by innovative training methodologies, our agentic LLM sets a new standard in AI orchestration, offering unparalleled performance and adaptability.

Read Our News Posts

Summer Intern 2024

Apply for a Summer 2024 Internship

Our exciting internship opportunities for this Summer 2024 are now available. We are looking for students pursuing advanced degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Internships are typically 3 months long in duration. The benefits of working for us include the opportunity to quickly become part of a project team applying cutting-edge technology to industry-leading concepts. We have opportunities in Data Science & System Security, Integrated Systems, Machine Learning, and Optical Networking & Sensing.
Unearthing Nature's Orchestra How Fiber Optic Cables Can Hear Cicada Secrets

Unearthing Nature’s Orchestra – How Fiber Optic Cables Can Hear Cicada Secrets

Our Sarper Ozharar, Yue Tian and Yangmin Ding and Jessica L. Ware from the American Museum of Natural History have discovered that fiber optic cables equipped with distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) can pick up the sounds of Brood X cicadas. DAS technology, typically used to monitor seismic activity, can detect the vibrations caused by the loud sounds of cicadas, which live underground for years until they come up to mate.
Sarper Ozharar Achievement in Science and Technology Award

Sarper Ozharar Receives Achievement in Science and Technology Award from Koç University

Sarper Ozharar was awarded an Achievement in Science and Technology Award from Koç University on their notable 30th anniversary.  As an alumnus of this esteemed institution, Sarper shared that this recognition is especially meaningful to him, marking a significant milestone in his professional journey.
Meet the NEC Labs America Intern Helping to Make Autonomous Vehicles Safer and More Secure Blog Post Graphic

Meet the NEC Labs America Intern Helping to Make Autonomous Vehicles Safer and More Secure

There’s much more to autonomous vehicle security than locking a car door. This summer, Kaiyuan Zhang, a 3rd-year computer science Ph.D. student at Purdue University, joined NEC Labs America’s popular intern program to help advance research around autonomous vehicle security. Each year, nearly 50 Ph.D. candidates join NEC Labs America’s innovative program, which centers on a collaborative environment where interns work directly with senior researchers and potential end-user customers.
AI Fiber Optic Combo Poised To Improve Telecommunications

AI/Fiber-Optic Combo Poised To Improve Telecommunications

Existing underground fiber-optic telecommunications cable networks that can be accessed through street manholes are helping a team at NEC Labs America improve wireless communications systems and the Internet of Things (IoT). "Hundreds of millions of fiber-optic cables are already there for communications purposes,” says Shaobo Han, a researcher at NEC Labs America who focuses on the design and development of machine learning and signal-processing techniques for real-world sensing applications. “We’re turning it all into a ‘thinking’ device, using the same cable that’s already there.”
Industrial Labs to Drive Disruptive Innovation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Blog Post

Industrial Labs to Drive Disruptive Innovation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

While the previous generation of industrial progress brought us new capabilities, efficiencies, and even delight through digital transformation, we’re entering a new era of innovation, opportunity, and disruption: the Fourth Industrial Revolution. What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?