{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7140235390","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","title":"MIRAGE: The Illusion of Visual Understanding","display_name":"MIRAGE: The Illusion of Visual Understanding","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-23","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7140235390","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Asadi, Mohammad","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Asadi, Mohammad","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"O'Sullivan, Jack W.","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"O'Sullivan, Jack W.","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Cao, Fang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cao, Fang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Nedaee, Tahoura","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Nedaee, Tahoura","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Rajabalifardi, Kamyar","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rajabalifardi, Kamyar","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Li, Fei-Fei","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li, Fei-Fei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Adeli, Ehsan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Adeli, Ehsan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Ashley, Euan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ashley, Euan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":8,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":1,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.5238000154495239,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.5238000154495239,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.17649999260902405,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11636","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education","score":0.0794999971985817,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2718","display_name":"Health Informatics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/27","display_name":"Medicine"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/4","display_name":"Health Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/illusion","display_name":"Illusion","score":0.6844000220298767},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/process","display_name":"Process (computing)","score":0.5073999762535095},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/phenomenon","display_name":"Phenomenon","score":0.4925999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/contrast","display_name":"Contrast (vision)","score":0.4778999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/benchmark","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","score":0.41510000824928284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rank","display_name":"Rank (graph theory)","score":0.39809998869895935},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/image","display_name":"Image (mathematics)","score":0.3910999894142151},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/range","display_name":"Range (aeronautics)","score":0.36399999260902405}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184047640","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182593","display_name":"Illusion","level":2,"score":0.6844000220298767},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.583299994468689},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98045186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205663","display_name":"Process (computing)","level":2,"score":0.5073999762535095},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C50335755","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q483247","display_name":"Phenomenon","level":2,"score":0.4925999939441681},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.48330000042915344},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180747234","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23373","display_name":"Cognitive psychology","level":1,"score":0.4799000024795532},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776502983","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q690182","display_name":"Contrast (vision)","level":2,"score":0.4778999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185798385","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1161707","display_name":"Benchmark (surveying)","level":2,"score":0.41510000824928284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188147891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q147638","display_name":"Cognitive science","level":1,"score":0.4068000018596649},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C164226766","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7293202","display_name":"Rank (graph theory)","level":2,"score":0.39809998869895935},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115961682","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q860623","display_name":"Image (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.3910999894142151},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.37450000643730164},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204323151","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q905424","display_name":"Range (aeronautics)","level":2,"score":0.36399999260902405},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61797465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188986","display_name":"Term (time)","level":2,"score":0.34850001335144043},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.3409000039100647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66024118","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1122506","display_name":"Computational model","level":2,"score":0.3138999938964844},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777508537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7936620","display_name":"Visual reasoning","level":2,"score":0.3091000020503998},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12713177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1900281","display_name":"Perspective (graphical)","level":2,"score":0.29899999499320984},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.2904999852180481},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148220186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7111912","display_name":"Outcome (game theory)","level":2,"score":0.2883000075817108},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98184364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1780131","display_name":"Argument (complex analysis)","level":2,"score":0.2865000069141388},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C192209626","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190909","display_name":"Focus (optics)","level":2,"score":0.2766999900341034},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136197465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1729295","display_name":"Variety (cybernetics)","level":2,"score":0.2680000066757202},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139793654","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q174923","display_name":"Optical illusion","level":3,"score":0.2556000053882599},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780791683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846785","display_name":"Action (physics)","level":2,"score":0.2500999867916107}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.21687","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Multimodal":[0],"AI":[1,199,217],"systems":[2,35],"have":[3,162],"achieved":[4,98],"remarkable":[5],"performance":[6,136],"across":[7,78],"a":[8,103,144,208],"broad":[9],"range":[10],"of":[11,215],"real-world":[12],"tasks,":[13],"yet":[14],"the":[15,92,99,152,201],"mechanisms":[16],"underlying":[17],"visual-language":[18,172],"reasoning":[19,51],"remain":[20],"surprisingly":[21],"poorly":[22],"understood.":[23],"We":[24,204],"report":[25],"three":[26],"findings":[27,166],"that":[28,186],"challenge":[29],"prevailing":[30],"assumptions":[31],"about":[32],"how":[33,171],"these":[34],"process":[36],"and":[37,49,80,89,175],"integrate":[38],"visual":[39],"information.":[40],"First,":[41],"Frontier":[42],"models":[43,72,116,157,173],"readily":[44],"generate":[45],"detailed":[46],"image":[47,70,124],"descriptions":[48],"elaborate":[50],"traces,":[52],"including":[53],"pathology-biased":[54],"clinical":[55],"findings,":[56],"for":[57,183,211],"images":[58,133,161],"never":[59],"provided;":[60],"we":[61],"term":[62],"this":[63],"phenomenon":[64],"mirage":[65,153],"reasoning.":[66],"Second,":[67],"without":[68,109,123],"any":[69,112],"input,":[71],"also":[73],"attain":[74],"strikingly":[75],"high":[76],"scores":[77],"general":[79],"medical":[81,195],"multimodal":[82,216],"benchmarks,":[83],"bringing":[84],"into":[85],"question":[86],"their":[87],"utility":[88],"design.":[90],"In":[91],"most":[93],"extreme":[94],"case,":[95],"our":[96],"model":[97],"top":[100],"rank":[101],"on":[102],"standard":[104],"chest":[105],"X-ray":[106],"question-answering":[107],"benchmark":[108],"access":[110],"to":[111,120,131,142,151,179],"images.":[113],"Third,":[114],"when":[115],"were":[117,134],"explicitly":[118],"instructed":[119],"guess":[121],"answers":[122],"access,":[125],"rather":[126],"than":[127],"being":[128],"implicitly":[129],"prompted":[130],"assume":[132],"present,":[135],"declined":[137],"markedly.":[138],"Explicit":[139],"guessing":[140],"appears":[141],"engage":[143],"more":[145],"conservative":[146],"response":[147],"regime,":[148],"in":[149,155,170,194],"contrast":[150],"regime":[154],"which":[156],"behave":[158],"as":[159,207],"though":[160],"been":[163],"provided.":[164],"These":[165],"expose":[167],"fundamental":[168],"vulnerabilities":[169],"reason":[174],"are":[176],"evaluated,":[177],"pointing":[178],"an":[180],"urgent":[181],"need":[182],"private":[184],"benchmarks":[185],"eliminate":[187],"textual":[188],"cues":[189],"enabling":[190],"non-visual":[191],"inference,":[192],"particularly":[193],"contexts":[196],"where":[197],"miscalibrated":[198],"carries":[200],"greatest":[202],"consequence.":[203],"introduce":[205],"B-Clean":[206],"principled":[209],"solution":[210],"fair,":[212],"vision-grounded":[213],"evaluation":[214],"systems.":[218]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-06-19T17:40:00.097472","created_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00"}