Hassan Sawaf

Ahmet Gündüz, Yunsu Kim, Kamer Ali Yuksel et al.

We present AutoMode-ASR, a novel framework that effectively integrates multiple ASR systems to enhance the overall transcription quality while optimizing cost. The idea is to train a decision model to select the optimal ASR system for each segment based solely on the audio input before running the systems. We achieve this by ensembling binary classifiers determining the preference between two systems. These classifiers are equipped with various features, such as audio embeddings, quality estimation, and signal properties. Additionally, we demonstrate how using a quality estimator can further improve performance with minimal cost increase. Experimental results show a relative reduction in WER of 16.2%, a cost saving of 65%, and a speed improvement of 75%, compared to using a single-best model for all segments. Our framework is compatible with commercial and open-source black-box ASR systems as it does not require changes in model codes.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Ahmet Gunduz, Mohamed Al-Badrashiny et al.

This paper presents EvolveMT for efficiently combining multiple machine translation (MT) engines. The proposed system selects the output from a single engine for each segment by utilizing online learning techniques to predict the most suitable system for every translation request. A neural quality estimation metric supervises the method without requiring reference translations. The online learning capability of this system allows for dynamic adaptation to alterations in the domain or machine translation engines, thereby obviating the necessity for additional training. EvolveMT selects a subset of translation engines to be called based on the source sentence features. The degree of exploration is configurable according to the desired quality-cost trade-off. Results from custom datasets demonstrate that EvolveMT achieves similar translation accuracy at a lower cost than selecting the best translation of each segment from all translations using an MT quality estimator. To our knowledge, EvolveMT is the first meta MT system that adapts itself after deployment to incoming translation requests from the production environment without needing costly retraining on human feedback.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Ahmet Gunduz, Shreyas Sharma et al.

This paper proposes an efficient and semi-automated method for human-in-the-loop post-editing for machine translation (MT) corpus generation. The method is based on online training of a custom MT quality estimation metric on-the-fly as linguists perform post-edits. The online estimator is used to prioritize worse hypotheses for post-editing, and auto-close best hypotheses without post-editing. This way, significant improvements can be achieved in the resulting quality of post-edits at a lower cost due to reduced human involvement. The trained estimator can also provide an online sanity check mechanism for post-edits and remove the need for additional linguists to review them or work on the same hypotheses. In this paper, the effect of prioritizing with the proposed method on the resulting MT corpus quality is presented versus scheduling hypotheses randomly. As demonstrated by experiments, the proposed method improves the lifecycle of MT models by focusing the linguist effort on production samples and hypotheses, which matter most for expanding MT corpora to be used for re-training them.

Talha Ruzgar Akkus, Suayp Talha Kocabay, Kamer Ali Yuksel et al.

The Forward-Forward (FF) algorithm trains networks layer-by-layer using a local "goodness function," yet sum-of-squares (SoS) has remained the only choice studied. We systematically explore the goodness-function design space and identify a unifying principle: the goodness function must be sensitive to the shape of neural activity, not its total energy. This principle is motivated by the observation that deep network activations follow heavy-tailed distributions and that discriminative information is often concentrated in peak activities. We propose two complementary families: selective functions (top-k, entmax-weighted energy) that measure only peak activity, and shape-sensitive functions (excess kurtosis / "burstiness" and higher-order moments) that reward heavy-tailed distributions via scale-invariant statistics. Combined with separate label-feature forwarding (FFCL), controlled experiments across 13 goodness functions, 5 activations, 6 datasets, and three continuous sweeps, each tracing a characteristic inverted-U, yield 89.0% on Fashion-MNIST and 98.2+-0.1% on MNIST (4x2000), a +32.6pp gain over SoS, with consistent improvements across all benchmarks (+72pp USPS, +52pp SVHN). The scale-invariant nature of burstiness makes it particularly robust to magnitude shifts across layers and datasets.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Abdul Basit Anees, Ashraf Elneima et al.

In this work, we present a modular and interpretable framework that uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate candidate assessment in recruitment. The system integrates diverse sources, including job descriptions, CVs, interview transcripts, and HR feedback; to generate structured evaluation reports that mirror expert judgment. Unlike traditional ATS tools that rely on keyword matching or shallow scoring, our approach employs role-specific, LLM-generated rubrics and a multi-agent architecture to perform fine-grained, criteria-driven evaluations. The framework outputs detailed assessment reports, candidate comparisons, and ranked recommendations that are transparent, auditable, and suitable for real-world hiring workflows. Beyond rubric-based analysis, we introduce an LLM-Driven Active Listwise Tournament mechanism for candidate ranking. Instead of noisy pairwise comparisons or inconsistent independent scoring, the LLM ranks small candidate subsets (mini-tournaments), and these listwise permutations are aggregated using a Plackett-Luce model. An active-learning loop selects the most informative subsets, producing globally coherent and sample-efficient rankings. This adaptation of listwise LLM preference modeling (previously explored in financial asset ranking) provides a principled and highly interpretable methodology for large-scale candidate ranking in talent acquisition.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

Modern machine learning is still largely organized around a single recipe: choose a parameterized model family and optimize its weights. Although highly successful, this paradigm is too narrow for many structured prediction problems, where the main bottleneck is not parameter fitting but discovering what should be computed from the data. Success often depends on identifying the right transformations, statistics, invariances, interaction structures, temporal summaries, gates, or nonlinear compositions, especially when objectives are non-differentiable, evaluation is cross-validation-based, interpretability matters, or continual adaptation is required. We present EvoForest, a hybrid neuro-symbolic system for end-to-end open-ended evolution of computation. Rather than merely generating features, EvoForest jointly evolves reusable computational structure, callable function families, and trainable low-dimensional continuous components inside a shared directed acyclic graph. Intermediate nodes store alternative implementations, callable nodes encode reusable transformation families such as projections, gates, and activations, output nodes define candidate predictive computations, and persistent global parameters can be refined by gradient descent. For each graph configuration, EvoForest evaluates the discovered computation and uses a lightweight Ridge-based readout to score the resulting representation against a non-differentiable cross-validation target. The evaluator also produces structured feedback that guides future LLM-driven mutations. In the 2025 ADIA Lab Structural Break Challenge, EvoForest reached 94.13% ROC-AUC after 600 evolution steps, exceeding the publicly reported winning score of 90.14% under the same evaluation protocol.

Abdelrahman El-Sheikh, Ahmed Elmogtaba, Kareem Darwish et al.

The debut of chatGPT and BARD has popularized instruction following text generation using LLMs, where a user can interrogate an LLM using natural language requests and obtain natural language answers that matches their requests. Training LLMs to respond in this manner requires a large number of worked out examples of user requests (aka prompts) with corresponding gold responses. In this paper, we introduce two methods for creating such prompts for Arabic cheaply and quickly. The first methods entails automatically translating existing prompt datasets from English, such as PromptSource and Super-NaturalInstructions, and then using machine translation quality estimation to retain high quality translations only. The second method involves creating natural language prompts on top of existing Arabic NLP datasets. Using these two methods we were able to create more than 67.4 million Arabic prompts that cover a variety of tasks including summarization, headline generation, grammar checking, open/closed question answering, creative writing, etc. We show that fine tuning an open 7 billion parameter large language model, namely base Qwen2 7B, enables it to outperform a state-of-the-art 70 billion parameter instruction tuned model, namely Llama3 70B, in handling Arabic prompts.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have shown remarkable performance across diverse tasks. However, these models are typically deployed with fixed weights, which limits their ability to adapt dynamically to the variability inherent in real-world data during inference. This paper introduces ChameleonLLM, a novel framework that enables inference-time adaptation of LLMs by leveraging batch-aware clustering and on-the-fly generation of low-rank updates. Unlike traditional fine-tuning approaches such as Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) or methods that rely on a fixed set of pre-learned uniforms (changeable masks), our method dynamically generates adaptive modifications to the decoder weights based on the aggregated statistics of clustered batches. By intelligently grouping similar inputs and computing context-aware low-rank updates via a hyper-network, ChameleonLLM achieves significant performance gains, outperforming conventional LoRA methods while eliminating the overhead of maintaining multiple expert models. Our experiments highlight the potential of our approach to serve as a versatile and highly adaptive solution for language model inference. ChameleonLLM is open-sourced to ensure the reproducibility of our experiments: https://anonymous.4open.science/r/ChamaleonLLM/

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Ahmet Gunduz, Abdul Baseet Anees et al.

This paper introduces an advanced methodology for machine translation (MT) corpus generation, integrating semi-automated, human-in-the-loop post-editing with large language models (LLMs) to enhance efficiency and translation quality. Building upon previous work that utilized real-time training of a custom MT quality estimation metric, this system incorporates novel LLM features such as Enhanced Translation Synthesis and Assisted Annotation Analysis, which improve initial translation hypotheses and quality assessments, respectively. Additionally, the system employs LLM-Driven Pseudo Labeling and a Translation Recommendation System to reduce human annotator workload in specific contexts. These improvements not only retain the original benefits of cost reduction and enhanced post-edit quality but also open new avenues for leveraging cutting-edge LLM advancements. The project's source code is available for community use, promoting collaborative developments in the field. The demo video can be accessed here.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

Agentic AI systems use specialized agents to handle tasks within complex workflows, enabling automation and efficiency. However, optimizing these systems often requires labor-intensive, manual adjustments to refine roles, tasks, and interactions. This paper introduces a framework for autonomously optimizing Agentic AI solutions across industries, such as NLP-driven enterprise applications. The system employs agents for Refinement, Execution, Evaluation, Modification, and Documentation, leveraging iterative feedback loops powered by an LLM (Llama 3.2-3B). The framework achieves optimal performance without human input by autonomously generating and testing hypotheses to improve system configurations. This approach enhances scalability and adaptability, offering a robust solution for real-world applications in dynamic environments. Case studies across diverse domains illustrate the transformative impact of this framework, showcasing significant improvements in output quality, relevance, and actionability. All data for these case studies, including original and evolved agent codes, along with their outputs, are here: https://anonymous.4open.science/r/evolver-1D11/

Yunsu Kim, AhmedElmogtaba Abdelaziz, Thiago Castro Ferreira et al.

As the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) grows to address complex real-world tasks, single models are often insufficient, requiring the integration of multiple models into pipelines. This paper introduces Bel Esprit, a conversational agent designed to construct AI model pipelines based on user-defined requirements. Bel Esprit employs a multi-agent framework where subagents collaborate to clarify requirements, build, validate, and populate pipelines with appropriate models. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework in generating pipelines from ambiguous user queries, using both human-curated and synthetic data. A detailed error analysis highlights ongoing challenges in pipeline construction. Bel Esprit is available for a free trial at https://belesprit.aixplain.com.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

Creative coding and real-time shader programming are at the forefront of interactive digital art, enabling artists, designers, and enthusiasts to produce mesmerizing, complex visual effects that respond to real-time stimuli such as sound or user interaction. However, despite the rich potential of tools like GLSL, the steep learning curve and requirement for programming fluency pose substantial barriers for newcomers and even experienced artists who may not have a technical background. In this paper, we present AI Co-Artist, a novel interactive system that harnesses the capabilities of large language models (LLMs), specifically GPT-4, to support the iterative evolution and refinement of GLSL shaders through a user-friendly, visually-driven interface. Drawing inspiration from the user-guided evolutionary principles pioneered by the Picbreeder platform, our system empowers users to evolve shader art using intuitive interactions, without needing to write or understand code. AI Co-Artist serves as both a creative companion and a technical assistant, allowing users to explore a vast generative design space of real-time visual art. Through comprehensive evaluations, including structured user studies and qualitative feedback, we demonstrate that AI Co-Artist significantly reduces the technical threshold for shader creation, enhances creative outcomes, and supports a wide range of users in producing professional-quality visual effects. Furthermore, we argue that this paradigm is broadly generalizable. By leveraging the dual strengths of LLMs-semantic understanding and program synthesis, our method can be applied to diverse creative domains, including website layout generation, architectural visualizations, product prototyping, and infographics.

Ahmet Gunduz, Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

In an era of rapid technological advancements, agentification of software tools has emerged as a critical innovation, enabling systems to function autonomously and adaptively. This paper introduces MediaMind as a case study to demonstrate the agentification process, highlighting how existing software can be transformed into intelligent agents capable of independent decision-making and dynamic interaction. Developed by aiXplain, MediaMind leverages agent-based architecture to autonomously monitor, analyze, and provide insights from multilingual media content in real time. The focus of this paper is on the technical methodologies and design principles behind agentifying MediaMind, showcasing how agentification enhances adaptability, efficiency, and responsiveness. Through detailed case studies and practical examples, we illustrate how the agentification of MediaMind empowers organizations to streamline workflows, optimize decision-making, and respond to evolving trends. This work underscores the broader potential of agentification to revolutionize software tools across various domains.

Kamer Ali Yuksel, Hassan Sawaf

Financial metrics like the Sharpe ratio are pivotal in evaluating investment performance by balancing risk and return. However, traditional metrics often struggle with robustness and generalization, particularly in dynamic and volatile market conditions. This paper introduces AlphaSharpe, a novel framework leveraging large language models (LLMs) to iteratively evolve and optimize financial metrics to discover enhanced risk-return metrics that outperform traditional approaches in robustness and correlation with future performance metrics by employing iterative crossover, mutation, and evaluation. Key contributions of this work include: (1) a novel use of LLMs to generate and refine financial metrics with implicit domain-specific knowledge, (2) a scoring mechanism to ensure that evolved metrics generalize effectively to unseen data, and (3) an empirical demonstration of 3x predictive power for future risk-returns, and 2x portfolio performance. Experimental results in a real-world dataset highlight the superiority of discovered metrics, making them highly relevant to portfolio managers and financial decision-makers. This framework not only addresses the limitations of existing metrics but also showcases the potential of LLMs in advancing financial analytics, paving the way for informed and robust investment strategies.

Marcello Federico, Robert Enyedi, Roberto Barra-Chicote et al.

We present enhancements to a speech-to-speech translation pipeline in order to perform automatic dubbing. Our architecture features neural machine translation generating output of preferred length, prosodic alignment of the translation with the original speech segments, neural text-to-speech with fine tuning of the duration of each utterance, and, finally, audio rendering to enriches text-to-speech output with background noise and reverberation extracted from the original audio. We report on a subjective evaluation of automatic dubbing of excerpts of TED Talks from English into Italian, which measures the perceived naturalness of automatic dubbing and the relative importance of each proposed enhancement.