LLM-AutoDiff: Auto-Differentiate Any LLM Workflow

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16673v2
• Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:40:12 GMT
• Title: LLM-AutoDiff: Auto-Differentiate Any LLM Workflow
• Authors: Li Yin, Zhangyang Wang,
• Abstract summary: We introduce LLM-AutoDiff: a novel framework for Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) LLMs-AutoDiff treats each textual input as a trainable parameter and uses a frozen backward engine to generate feedback-akin to textual gradients. It consistently outperforms existing textual gradient baselines in both accuracy and training cost.
• Score: 58.56731133392544
• License:
• Abstract: Large Language Models (LLMs) have reshaped natural language processing, powering applications from multi-hop retrieval and question answering to autonomous agent workflows. Yet, prompt engineering -- the task of crafting textual inputs to effectively direct LLMs -- remains difficult and labor-intensive, particularly for complex pipelines that combine multiple LLM calls with functional operations like retrieval and data formatting. We introduce LLM-AutoDiff: a novel framework for Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) that extends textual gradient-based methods (such as Text-Grad) to multi-component, potentially cyclic LLM architectures. Implemented within the AdalFlow library, LLM-AutoDiff treats each textual input as a trainable parameter and uses a frozen backward engine LLM to generate feedback-akin to textual gradients -- that guide iterative prompt updates. Unlike prior single-node approaches, LLM-AutoDiff inherently accommodates functional nodes, preserves time-sequential behavior in repeated calls (e.g., multi-hop loops), and combats the "lost-in-the-middle" problem by isolating distinct sub-prompts (instructions, formats, or few-shot examples). It further boosts training efficiency by focusing on error-prone samples through selective gradient computation. Across diverse tasks, including single-step classification, multi-hop retrieval-based QA, and agent-driven pipelines, LLM-AutoDiff consistently outperforms existing textual gradient baselines in both accuracy and training cost. By unifying prompt optimization through a graph-centric lens, LLM-AutoDiff offers a powerful new paradigm for scaling and automating LLM workflows - mirroring the transformative role that automatic differentiation libraries have long played in neural network research.

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