Semantic Axis Decomposition of Transformer Embeddings

This work introduces a novel method for interpreting sentence-transformer embeddings by identifying and labeling the most semantically meaningful latent dimensions. Using Random Forest classifiers, we extract top-N influential coordinates and assign human-interpretable meanings such as "emotionality", "scientific intent", or "question structure". The result is a semantic heatmap that shows how individual sentences activate specific dimensions of meaning. This allows researchers and practitioners to better understand what transformer-based models are encoding and how they behave. This is a conceptual and visual demonstration. Code is not included. Keywords: transformer, embeddings, interpretability, latent space, semantic axis, XAI, sentence-transformers

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2025-05-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15506748
Primary Topic
Mental Health via Writing
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Semantic Axis Decomposition of Transformer Embeddings

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Mental Health via Writing
article

Semantic Axis Decomposition of Transformer Embeddings

article en

Abstract

This work introduces a novel method for interpreting sentence-transformer embeddings by identifying and labeling the most semantically meaningful latent dimensions. Using Random Forest classifiers, we extract top-N influential coordinates and assign human-interpretable meanings such as "emotionality", "scientific intent", or "question structure". The result is a semantic heatmap that shows how individual sentences activate specific dimensions of meaning. This allows researchers and practitioners to better understand what transformer-based models are encoding and how they behave. This is a conceptual and visual demonstration. Code is not included. Keywords: transformer, embeddings, interpretability, latent space, semantic axis, XAI, sentence-transformers

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Openalex Percentile: Top 52%
Mental Health via Writing
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Semantic Axis Decomposition of Transformer Embeddings · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS