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Large language models suffer "context rot," losing reliability with long inputs

Large language models with extensive context windows, such as Gemini 2.5 Pro, often suffer from "context rot," where their reliability decreases as the input length increases. This phenomenon, detailed in a report by Chroma Research, shows that models tend to perform worse on information located in the middle of the context window compared to the beginning or end. This "lost in the middle" effect, stemming from the quadratic nature of transformer attention mechanisms, means that larger context windows do not necessarily equate to better memory or recall, and deliberate context management remains crucial. AI

IMPACT Highlights a critical limitation in current long-context LLMs, suggesting a need for better context management strategies beyond simply increasing token limits.

RANK_REASON The item discusses a research finding about the limitations of long-context LLMs, citing a research report. [lever_c_demoted from research: ic=1 ai=1.0]

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AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Large language models suffer "context rot," losing reliability with long inputs

COVERAGE [1]

  1. Towards AI TIER_1 English(EN) · Decoding AI ·

    Context Rot Is Why Your 2-Million-Token Window Keeps Forgetting the Middle

    <figure><img alt="Context rot cover by Decoding AI: a 2-million-token context window is not 2 million tokens of memory, accuracy degrades in the middle of long context" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*monFKUWz0PU9BUUo1MsddA.png" /></figure><h4><em>The token count …