README.md

---
library_name: transformers
pipeline_tag: image-text-to-text
license: apache-2.0
---
# Model Card: Reflective LLaVA (ReflectiVA) 

Multimodal LLMs (MLLMs) are the natural extension of large language models to handle multimodal inputs, combining text and image data. 
They have recently garnered attention due to their capability to address complex tasks involving both modalities. 
However, their effectiveness is limited to the knowledge acquired during training, which restricts their practical utility. 
In this work, we introduce a novel method to enhance the adaptability of MLLMs by integrating external knowledge sources. 
Our proposed model, Reflective LLaVA (```ReflectiVA```), utilizes reflective tokens to dynamically determine the need for external knowledge 
and predict the relevance of information retrieved from an external database.
Tokens are trained following a two-stage two-model training recipe. This ultimately enables the MLLM to manage external knowledge 
while preserving fluency and performance on tasks where external knowledge is not needed. 

The efficacy of ```ReflectiVA``` for knowledge-based visual question answering, highlighting its 
superior performance compared to existing methods.


In this model space, you will find the Overall Model (stage two) weights of ```ReflectiVA```.

For more information, visit our [ReflectiVA repository](https://github.com/aimagelab/ReflectiVA).

## Citation
If you make use of our work, please cite our repo:

```bibtex
@article{cocchi2024augmenting,
  title={{Augmenting Multimodal LLMs with Self-Reflective Tokens for Knowledge-based Visual Question Answering}},
  author={Cocchi, Federico and Moratelli, Nicholas and Cornia, Marcella and Baraldi, Lorenzo and Cucchiara, Rita},
  journal={arXiv},
  year={2024}
}
```

## Paper page

Paper can be found at https://huggingface.co./papers/2411.16863.