Skip to content

All working papers

Working paper No. 001

The prior is the product

Authors: HyperPrior ResearchLondon
Research: 05Probabilistic inferenceModels that carry doubt about their own assumptions.
Programme: P-01Prior EngineeringPriors and in-context inference
Status: In preparation

Version: In preparation
Date: In preparation
Confidence: In preparation
Revisit: In preparation

Abstract

Pretraining data is a prior, whether or not anyone meant it to be. We argue for designing that prior deliberately, and for measuring what a model actually absorbs from it.

If you work on related questions, write to us.

Cite

HYPERPRIOR RESEARCH LTDNo. 001

HyperPrior Research. The prior is the product. Working paper No. 001, in preparation, 2026. London. https://hyperprior.net/papers/the-prior-is-the-product/

@techreport{hyperprior001,
  author      = {{HyperPrior Research}},
  title       = {The prior is the product},
  type        = {Working paper},
  number      = {001},
  institution = {HyperPrior Research},
  address     = {London},
  year        = {2026},
  note        = {In preparation},
  url         = {https://hyperprior.net/papers/the-prior-is-the-product/}
}