# Looking through the past: better knowledge retention for generative replay in continual learning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.10012 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.10012/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 25 of its 39 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 18 Sep 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 25 of 25)

- [Distilling the Knowledge in a Neural Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1503.02531/) (2015)
- [Overcoming catastrophic forgetting in neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1612.00796/) (2016)
- [Learning without Forgetting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1606.09282/) (2016)
- [Variational Inference with Normalizing Flows](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1505.05770/) (2015)
- [Gradient Episodic Memory for Continual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.08840/) (2017)
- [FitNets: Hints for Thin Deep Nets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6550/) (2014)
- [Continual Learning with Deep Generative Replay](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.08690/) (2017)
- [Memory Aware Synapses: Learning what (not) to forget](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.09601/) (2017)
- [PackNet: Adding Multiple Tasks to a Single Network by Iterative Pruning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.05769/) (2017)
- [Lifelong Learning with Dynamically Expandable Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.01547/) (2017)
- [Class-incremental learning: survey and performance evaluation on image classification](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.15277/) (2020)
- [Assessing Generative Models via Precision and Recall](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.00035/) (2018)
- [On Tiny Episodic Memories in Continual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1902.10486/) (2019)
- [Selective Experience Replay for Lifelong Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.10269/) (2018)
- [Reinforced Continual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1805.12369/) (2018)
- [FearNet: Brain-Inspired Model for Incremental Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.10563/) (2017)
- [Generative Feature Replay For Class-Incremental Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.09199/) (2020)
- [Alleviating catastrophic forgetting using context-dependent gating and synaptic stabilization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.01569/) (2018)
- [Generative replay with feedback connections as a general strategy for continual learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1809.10635/) (2018)
- [Continual Learning via Neural Pruning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1903.04476/) (2019)
- [PyCIL: A Python Toolbox for Class-Incremental Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.12533/) (2021)
- [Generative Models from the perspective of Continual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1812.09111/) (2018)
- [Unified Probabilistic Deep Continual Learning through Generative Replay and Open Set Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.12019/) (2019)
- [Pseudo-Rehearsal for Continual Learning with Normalizing Flows](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.02443/) (2020)
- [Knowledge Capture and Replay for Continual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.06789/) (2020)

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Continual Learning and Catastrophic Forgetting](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.05175/) (2024)
- [Replay to Remember (R2R): An Efficient Uncertainty-driven Unsupervised Continual Learning Framework Using Generative Replay](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.04787/) (2025)
- [Brain-Inspired Continual Learning-Robust Feature Distillation and Re-Consolidation for Class Incremental Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.14588/) (2024)
- [In Two Minds about Lifelong Learning: Exploring Hemispheric Redundancy and Specialisation in Neural Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.19514/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

In this work, we improve the generative replay in a continual learning setting to perform well on challenging scenarios. Current generative rehearsal methods are usually benchmarked on small and simple datasets as they are not powerful enough to generate more complex data with a greater number of classes. We notice that in VAE-based generative replay, this could be attributed to the fact that the generated features are far from the original ones when mapped to the latent space. Therefore, we propose three modifications that allow the model to learn and generate complex data. More specifically, we incorporate the distillation in latent space between the current and previous models to reduce feature drift. Additionally, a latent matching for the reconstruction and original data is proposed to improve generated features alignment. Further, based on the observation that the reconstructions are better for preserving knowledge, we add the cycling of generations through the previously trained model to make them closer to the original data. Our method outperforms other generative replay methods in various scenarios. Code available at https://github.com/valeriya-khan/looking-through-the-past.