Separable Multi-Concept Erasure from Diffusion Models (2402.05947v1)

Abstract: Large-scale diffusion models, known for their impressive image generation capabilities, have raised concerns among researchers regarding social impacts, such as the imitation of copyrighted artistic styles. In response, existing approaches turn to machine unlearning techniques to eliminate unsafe concepts from pre-trained models. However, these methods compromise the generative performance and neglect the coupling among multi-concept erasures, as well as the concept restoration problem. To address these issues, we propose a Separable Multi-concept Eraser (SepME), which mainly includes two parts: the generation of concept-irrelevant representations and the weight decoupling. The former aims to avoid unlearning substantial information that is irrelevant to forgotten concepts. The latter separates optimizable model weights, making each weight increment correspond to a specific concept erasure without affecting generative performance on other concepts. Specifically, the weight increment for erasing a specified concept is formulated as a linear combination of solutions calculated based on other known undesirable concepts. Extensive experiments indicate the efficacy of our approach in eliminating concepts, preserving model performance, and offering flexibility in the erasure or recovery of various concepts.

• The paper introduces SepME, a novel approach that decouples model weights to efficiently erase and restore specific concepts.
• It employs a dual framework using concept-irrelevant representations and weight decoupling to preserve generative performance during unlearning.
• The method significantly mitigates unsafe content generation risks, setting a new standard in machine unlearning for diffusion models.

Exploring the Potential of Separable Multi-Concept Erasure in Diffusion Models

Introduction

The rapid advancement in text-to-image generation capabilities, particularly through diffusion models (DMs), has brought forth revolutionary functional applications. However, parallel to their widespread adoption, these applications have also spotlighted critical societal impact issues. Among these, the challenge of model misuse through generating unsafe or copyright-infringing content has been notably concerning. Machine unlearning (MU) techniques have emerged as pivotal in addressing these concerns, intending to safely remove specific datasets or concepts from pre-trained models without necessitating retraining from scratch. In this context, we introduce the Separable Multi-concept Eraser (SepME), a novel approach designed to refine and extend the framework of MU in diffusion models. SepME stands out by addressing the multi-concept erasure and concept restoration issues, marking a significant contribution to the domain.

Unlearning in Diffusion Models

At its core, SepME comprises two integral components: the generation of concept-irrelevant representations (G-CiRs) and weight decoupling (WD). G-CiRs focuses on preserving the generative performance of models amidst the erasure process. It leverages early stopping and a regularization term to prevent significant deviation of unlearned model weights from their original counterparts. On the other hand, WD splits the model weights into independent increments, each tailor-made for erasing a specific concept. This separation enables each weight increment to erase or restore various concepts without compromising the model's generality. By formulating the weight increments as a linear combination of specific solutions, SepME substantially maintains model performance while providing flexibility in concept management.

The Impact of SepME

The efficacy of SepME is underscored through extensive experimentation. It demonstrates superior ability in erasing concepts and in restoring them compared to previous methods. This enhanced capability not only contributes to the practical utility of diffusion models in mitigating societal impacts but also sets a new precedent in the MU research domain. SepME, with its unique structure, introduces a flexible and efficient method to manage concepts within diffusion models, reflecting a crucial step towards more responsible AI utilization.

Future Directions

SepME opens up numerous avenues for future research. Its approach to multi-concept management and restoration presents a foundation for exploring more complex scenarios in concept manipulation. The potential for iterative concept erasure and restoration, as facilitated by SepME, hints at the possibility of developing more dynamic and adaptive models. Furthermore, expanding SepME's application to other types of generative models could provide broader insights into the efficacy and versatility of the technique. The broader impact of SepME will be influenced by continued improvement in its methodology and by adopting ethical guidelines in its application to ensure responsible AI development and usage.

Conclusion

In summary, the Separable Multi-concept Eraser introduces a robust and flexible framework for concept management within diffusion models. By efficiently addressing concept erasure and restoration, SepME represents a vital step forward in the field of machine unlearning. Its development not only addresses immediate concerns regarding unsafe content generation but also illuminates the path towards creating more responsible and versatile AI technologies. As the field of AI continually evolves, approaches like SepME will be instrumental in navigating the complex interplay between technological advancement and societal impact.