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Main Authors: Bilyk, Solomiia, Getmanskyi, Volodymyr, Firman, Taras
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.09418
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author Bilyk, Solomiia
Getmanskyi, Volodymyr
Firman, Taras
author_facet Bilyk, Solomiia
Getmanskyi, Volodymyr
Firman, Taras
contents This paper studies Automated Instruction Revision (AIR), a rule-induction-based method for adapting large language models (LLMs) to downstream tasks using limited task-specific examples. We position AIR within the broader landscape of adaptation strategies, including prompt optimization, retrieval-based methods, and fine-tuning. We then compare these approaches across a diverse benchmark suite designed to stress different task requirements, such as knowledge injection, structured extraction, label remapping, and logical reasoning. The paper argues that adaptation performance is strongly task-dependent: no single method dominates across all settings. Across five benchmarks, AIR was strongest or near-best on label-remapping classification, while KNN retrieval performed best on closed-book QA, and fine-tuning dominated structured extraction and event-order reasoning. AIR is most promising when task behavior can be captured by compact, interpretable instruction rules, while retrieval and fine-tuning remain stronger in tasks dominated by source-specific knowledge or dataset-specific annotation regularities.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_09418
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Automated Instruction Revision (AIR): A Structured Comparison of Task Adaptation Strategies for LLM
Bilyk, Solomiia
Getmanskyi, Volodymyr
Firman, Taras
Computation and Language
Machine Learning
This paper studies Automated Instruction Revision (AIR), a rule-induction-based method for adapting large language models (LLMs) to downstream tasks using limited task-specific examples. We position AIR within the broader landscape of adaptation strategies, including prompt optimization, retrieval-based methods, and fine-tuning. We then compare these approaches across a diverse benchmark suite designed to stress different task requirements, such as knowledge injection, structured extraction, label remapping, and logical reasoning. The paper argues that adaptation performance is strongly task-dependent: no single method dominates across all settings. Across five benchmarks, AIR was strongest or near-best on label-remapping classification, while KNN retrieval performed best on closed-book QA, and fine-tuning dominated structured extraction and event-order reasoning. AIR is most promising when task behavior can be captured by compact, interpretable instruction rules, while retrieval and fine-tuning remain stronger in tasks dominated by source-specific knowledge or dataset-specific annotation regularities.
title Automated Instruction Revision (AIR): A Structured Comparison of Task Adaptation Strategies for LLM
topic Computation and Language
Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.09418