Q42 · UPSC Prelims 2026 · Set A · Current Affairs and GK

← Q41 Q43 →

Which of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct?1.LLMs assign probabilities to the next possible words and then pick the one with the highest probability.2.LLMs process data through mathematical optimization to minimise prediction errors.3.LLMs produce unbiased outputs. Select the answer using the code given below:

Page facts
Exam
Union Public Service Commission — Civil Services Examination (UPSC)
Board
UPSC
Stage
Prelims
Year
2026
Paper
UPSC Prelims — Prelims General Studies Paper I (General Studies)
Booklet
Set A
Question
Q42
Topic
Current Affairs and GK
Syllabus
Current events, government schemes, miscellaneous GK — Prelims GS Paper I.
A 1 only
B 1 and 2 only
C 2 and 3 only
D 1, 2 and 3

Correct answer: (b) 1 and 2 only

Explanation

  1. A

    1 only

    1 only: Incomplete statement. While statement 1 correctly describes token prediction based on probability distribution, statement 2 is also correct because LLMs rely heavily on loss functions and gradient descent (mathematical optimization) during their training phase to minimize prediction errors.

  2. B

    1 and 2 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only. Statement 1 is correct because LLMs function by predicting the probability of subsequent tokens based on context and selecting from the distribution. Statement 2 is correct because model weights are adjusted iteratively via mathematical optimization (loss minimization) to reduce prediction errors. Statement 3 is incorrect because LLMs inherit biases present in their training corpora and do not produce inherently unbiased outputs.

  3. C

    2 and 3 only

    2 and 3 only: Incorrect combination. While statement 2 is correct, statement 3 is factually wrong because large language models are susceptible to societal, cultural, and statistical biases from their training data, making them prone to biased outputs.

  4. D

    1, 2 and 3

    1, 2 and 3: Incorrect because statement 3 is wrong. LLMs frequently generate biased or hallucinatory content due to data imbalances and probabilistic token generation, meaning they do not produce unbiased outputs.

Summary. Official key is (b). Statements 1 and 2 are correct as they accurately describe next-token probability assignment and loss minimization via mathematical optimization during training. Statement 3 is incorrect because LLMs notoriously reflect and amplify biases present in their training data.

Same topic · past papers

UPSC has asked this before

These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.

  1. 2025 · Q47 · General Studies · 2 marks

    Consider the following statements: I. It is expected that Majorana l chip will enable quantum computing. II. Majorana l chip has been introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS). III. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning. Which of the statements given above are correct?

    View answer →

  2. 2026 · Q86 · General Studies · 2 marks

    Which of the following statements regarding the features of blockchain technology are correct? 1. Records stored in the database may be made visible to relevant stakeholders without risk of alteration. 2. Copies of the entire database are stored on multiple computers on a network, syncing within seconds. 3. Consortium blockchain is a blend of public and private blockchains allowing selective data access. 4. Mathematical algorithms make it impossible to change or delete any data once recorded and accepted. Select the answer using the code given below:

    View answer →

PDF