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AI Evaluation & Observability

Learning Interpretability Tool

Learning Interpretability Tool is an open-source, interactive visual workspace for examining machine-learning models and their behavior on text, image and tabular data. It provides local prediction explanations, aggregate analysis, counterfactual evaluation and side-by-side comparisons, and can run as a standalone server or inside notebook environments.

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Learning Interpretability Tool — OpenViST project profile in AI Evaluation & Observability.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use LIT when you need an interactive interface for debugging or comparing model behavior, rather than only inspecting predictions in code or in aggregate reports.

Who it is for

  • Machine-learning practitioners investigating model errors and individual predictions.
  • Researchers comparing model outputs or testing how input changes affect behavior.
  • Developers integrating custom models and datasets through LIT's APIs.

Documented uses

  • Identify types of examples on which a model performs poorly.
  • Inspect an individual prediction using salience maps and prediction visualizations.
  • Compare models or compare a model's outputs across examples.
  • Explore model behavior across data slices, bins, custom metrics and embedding spaces.
  • Create edited or generated counterfactual examples and evaluate model responses.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The project is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. The documented default installation is available through pip as `lit-nlp`.

  • Custom models and datasets need a data loader following LIT's Dataset API and a model wrapper following its Model API.
  • The default pip package includes the Python API, built-in interpretability components and web app; optional dependency groups cover supplied examples and tests.
  • Source-based code changes require Python 3.9 or later and a frontend build with Yarn.
  • Notebook use is documented for Colab, Jupyter and Google Cloud Vertex AI notebooks.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Install LIT with pip

Install the LIT Python API, built-in interpretability components and web application.

Before you start

  • Python package installer pip

Steps

  1. Install the package with the command below.

    Documented command
    pip install lit-nlp
  2. If using the provided demos or test suite, install the corresponding optional dependencies, such as lit-nlp[examples-discriminative-ai], lit-nlp[examples-generative-ai] or lit-nlp[test].

Expected outcome

The default package installation includes the LIT Python API, built-in interpretability components and web application; optional packages add dependencies for the selected examples or tests.

Guide limitations

  • This installation guidance does not configure a custom model or dataset.
  • The optional dependency groups cover the named examples and test suite.
Source-based practical guide

Set up LIT from source for code changes

Prepare a source checkout and build the LIT frontend.

Before you start

  • Python 3.9 or later
  • Git
  • A Python environment manager such as venv
  • Yarn

Steps

  1. Clone the repository with the command below and enter the lit directory.

    Documented command
    git clone https://github.com/PAIR-code/lit.git
  2. Create and activate a virtual environment with the command below and source .venv/bin/activate.

    Documented command
    python -m venv .venv
  3. Install the source and test dependencies with the command below.

    Documented command
    python -m pip install -e '.[test]'
  4. Build the frontend by running (cd lit_nlp; yarn && yarn build).

Expected outcome

The source installation and frontend build steps prepare a local LIT checkout for code changes.

Guide limitations

  • The repository does not include a distributable version of the LIT app; the frontend must be built from source.
  • The source instructions shown install dependencies for all examples and the test suite.
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
10 October 2026
Original website title
PAIR-code/lit · Official homepage title · retained in its source language