Wenjie Shu

Xianfeng Wu, Yajing Bai, Haoze Zheng et al.

Recent advances in text-to-image generation have primarily relied on extensive datasets and parameter-heavy architectures. These requirements severely limit accessibility for researchers and practitioners who lack substantial computational resources. In this paper, we introduce \model, an efficient training paradigm for image generation models that uses knowledge distillation (KD) and Direct Preference Optimization (DPO). Drawing inspiration from the success of data KD techniques widely adopted in Multi-Modal Large Language Models (MLLMs), LightGen distills knowledge from state-of-the-art (SOTA) text-to-image models into a compact Masked Autoregressive (MAR) architecture with only $0.7B$ parameters. Using a compact synthetic dataset of just $2M$ high-quality images generated from varied captions, we demonstrate that data diversity significantly outweighs data volume in determining model performance. This strategy dramatically reduces computational demands and reduces pre-training time from potentially thousands of GPU-days to merely 88 GPU-days. Furthermore, to address the inherent shortcomings of synthetic data, particularly poor high-frequency details and spatial inaccuracies, we integrate the DPO technique that refines image fidelity and positional accuracy. Comprehensive experiments confirm that LightGen achieves image generation quality comparable to SOTA models while significantly reducing computational resources and expanding accessibility for resource-constrained environments. Code is available at https://github.com/XianfengWu01/LightGen

Haoyu Deng, Zijing Xu, Yule Duan et al.

Deep neural networks for image super-resolution (ISR) have shown significant advantages over traditional approaches like the interpolation. However, they are often criticized as 'black boxes' compared to traditional approaches with solid mathematical foundations. In this paper, we attempt to interpret the behavior of deep neural networks in ISR using theories from the field of signal processing. First, we report an intriguing phenomenon, referred to as `the sinc phenomenon.' It occurs when an impulse input is fed to a neural network. Then, building on this observation, we propose a method named Hybrid Response Analysis (HyRA) to analyze the behavior of neural networks in ISR tasks. Specifically, HyRA decomposes a neural network into a parallel connection of a linear system and a non-linear system and demonstrates that the linear system functions as a low-pass filter while the non-linear system injects high-frequency information. Finally, to quantify the injected high-frequency information, we introduce a metric for image-to-image tasks called Frequency Spectrum Distribution Similarity (FSDS). FSDS reflects the distribution similarity of different frequency components and can capture nuances that traditional metrics may overlook. Code, videos and raw experimental results for this paper can be found in: https://github.com/RisingEntropy/LPFInISR.

Yexin Liu, Wen-Jie Shu, Zile Huang et al.

Text-guided image-to-video (TI2V) generation has recently achieved remarkable progress, particularly in maintaining subject consistency and temporal coherence. However, existing methods still struggle to adhere to fine-grained prompt semantics, especially when prompts entail substantial transformations of the input image (e.g., object addition, deletion, or modification), a shortcoming we term semantic negligence. In a pilot study, we find that applying a Gaussian blur to the input image improves semantic adherence. Analyzing attention maps, we observe clearer foreground-background separation. From an energy perspective, this corresponds to a lower-entropy cross-attention distribution. Motivated by this, we introduce AlignVid, a training-free framework with two components: (i) Attention Scaling Modulation (ASM), which directly reweights attention via lightweight Q or K scaling, and (ii) Guidance Scheduling (GS), which applies ASM selectively across transformer blocks and denoising steps to reduce visual quality degradation. This minimal intervention improves prompt adherence while limiting aesthetic degradation. In addition, we introduce OmitI2V to evaluate semantic negligence in TI2V generation, comprising 367 human-annotated samples that span addition, deletion, and modification scenarios. Extensive experiments demonstrate that AlignVid can enhance semantic fidelity.

Harold Haodong Chen, Haojian Huang, Xianfeng Wu et al.

Temporal quality is a critical aspect of video generation, as it ensures consistent motion and realistic dynamics across frames. However, achieving high temporal coherence and diversity remains challenging. In this work, we explore temporal augmentation in video generation for the first time, and introduce FluxFlow for initial investigation, a strategy designed to enhance temporal quality. Operating at the data level, FluxFlow applies controlled temporal perturbations without requiring architectural modifications. Extensive experiments on UCF-101 and VBench benchmarks demonstrate that FluxFlow significantly improves temporal coherence and diversity across various video generation models, including U-Net, DiT, and AR-based architectures, while preserving spatial fidelity. These findings highlight the potential of temporal augmentation as a simple yet effective approach to advancing video generation quality.