Training a single random neuron turns Qwen3-8B into an owl, nearing full SFT

adam_karvonen · x · 2026-10-30

maxsloef's experiment shows that training just one random neuron in Qwen3-8B converts the model into an 'owl' persona, with owliness eval performance approaching that of full SFT. A side-by-side comparison of SFT vs one-neuron eval responses and an activation visualization are available. An extreme case study in how model personas are parameterized.

Related event: Fine-Tuning a Single Neuron Turns Qwen3-8B Into an Owl Persona(3 posts)→

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