Layer of Truth: Probing Belief Shifts under Continual Pre-Training Poisoning

arXiv — cs.LGMonday, November 3, 2025 at 5:00:00 AM
A recent study explores how large language models (LLMs) are affected by misinformation during their continual pre-training process. While these models are designed to adapt and learn from vast amounts of web data, they can also inadvertently absorb subtle falsehoods. This research is significant as it sheds light on the potential vulnerabilities of LLMs, drawing parallels to the illusory truth effect seen in human cognition, where repeated exposure to inaccuracies can lead to belief shifts. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for improving the reliability of AI systems.
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