Active inference framework improves U-statistic estimation efficiency.
problem Costly acquisition of labels for U-statistics. method Active inference framework with optimal sampling rule.
result Substantial gains in estimation efficiency over baseline methods.
New method improves active statistical inference by reducing noise.
problem Inaccurate uncertainty estimates in active sampling lead to noisy results.
method Robust sampling strategies that interpolate between uniform and active sampling based on uncertainty scores.
result The robust sampling ensures that the estimator is never worse than uniform sampling and usually outperforms active inference.
Active inference uses machine learning to prioritize data labeling for more efficient statistical inference.
problem Efficiently collecting data points for statistical inference with limited labels.
method A machine learning-assisted approach that identifies uncertain data points for labeling.
result Achieves the same level of accuracy with fewer samples, resulting in smaller confidence intervals and more powerful p-values.
Post-ADC inference corrects bias in statistical inference after active data collection.
problem Bias in inference after active data collection.
method Post-ADC inference framework that corrects bias from both ADC process and data-driven target construction.
result Valid inference for data collected by SMBO methods like GP-UCB and TPE.
FAQ efficiently evaluates LLMs with statistical guarantees using adaptive query selection.
problem Efficiently evaluating many LLMs on a large suite of benchmarks is expensive.
method FAQ uses Bayesian factor models, adaptive sampling, and proactive active inference to select queries.
result FAQ delivers up to 5x effective sample size gains over baselines, matching CI width with fewer queries.
Abstract: Investigates the role of activation functions in neural networks and their physical basis.
problem Understanding the role of activation functions in neural networks and their physical basis.
method Formalizes the use of activation functions in neural inference by relating them to phase transitions in statistical physics.
result Reveals the physical justification for the performance of typical activation functions in neural networks.
AM-PPI uses multiple predictors to reduce label cost in healthcare AI.
problem Reduces label cost in post-deployment monitoring of healthcare AI.
method Combines model predictions with a small labeled sample, routing each instance to a cost-appropriate subset of predictors.
result Produces narrower confidence intervals than single-predictor methods.
Active learning method for ABC statistics selection reduces expert work and improves posterior estimates.
problem Handling intractable likelihood functions in models with domain knowledge.
method Active learning method for selecting summary statistics in ABC.
result Better posterior estimates than existing methods, especially with limited simulation budget.
In this work, we propose a simple yet effective solution to the problem of connectome inference in calcium imaging data. The proposed algorithm consists of two steps. First, processing the raw signals to detect neural peak activities. Second, inferring the degree of association between neurons from partial correlation …
Active-set algorithm improves Cox regression for shape-restricted covariates.
problem Improving Cox regression for shape-restricted covariates.
method Shape-restricted inference using active-set optimization for spline basis expansion.
result Active-set algorithm produces accurate linear covariate effect estimates.
New method improves statistical inference using machine learning-imputed data.
problem Improving statistical inference with imputed data from machine learning.
method Two-phase sampling approach for Z-estimation with ML-imputed outcomes.
result Guaranteed efficiency matching or exceeding classical inference, regardless of prediction quality.
OPAL optimizes labeling strategy for precise inference from uncertain models.
problem Inference from uncertain machine learning models is brittle.
method OPAL learns a smooth policy to adaptively label data points based on model uncertainty.
result OPAL yields estimators with the lowest variance and achieves nominal coverage in finite samples.
AI task delegation faces incentive collapse with unbounded payments as AI accuracy rises.
problem Incentive collapse in AI-assisted task delegation schemes.
method General impossibility result and sentinel-auditing payment mechanism.
result Sentinel-auditing mechanism enforces positive human effort at finite cost, independent of AI accuracy.
A new method improves fitting neural data with spiking network models.
problem Fitting spiking network models to neural activity does not produce realistic data.
method Augment log-likelihood with dissimilarity terms measured by summary statistics and optimized via back-propagation.
result The new method generates more realistic neural activity statistics and improves network connectivity inference.
The Ising model is important in statistical modeling and inference in many applications, however its normalizing constant, mean number of active vertices and mean spin interaction -- quantities needed in inference -- are computationally intractable. We provide accurate approximations that make it possible to numericall…
Method infers dynamics from incomplete time series data.
problem Challenges in inferring stochastic dynamics from time series with missing data.
method Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm that iterates between E-step and M-step.
result The EM algorithm effectively recovers missing data points and infers underlying network models from real neuronal activities.
The need for new methods to deal with big data is a common theme in most scientific fields, although its definition tends to vary with the context. Statistical ideas are an essential part of this, and as a partial response, a thematic program on statistical inference, learning, and models in big data was held in 2015 i…
A new method connects GLM and MLE for neuroimaging analysis.
problem Limited mathematical elegance and interpretation of MLE for neuroimaging.
method Derives a refined statistical test using SVR-iGLM and RFT.
result MLE and GLM parameter estimations are significantly related to functional tasks.
Derives time-averaged active inference from control principles.
problem Finite-horizon or discounted-surprise problems in active inference.
method Derives infinite-horizon, average-surprise active inference from optimal control principles.
result Unified objective functional for sensorimotor control.
Develops CLDS models to model neural activity with nonlinear dynamics.
problem Complex, nonlinear dynamics in neural population activity.
method Conditionally Linear Dynamical System (CLDS) models using Gaussian Process (GP) priors.
result CLDS models can perform well even in data-limited conditions.
We study sparse group Lasso for high-dimensional double sparse linear regression, where the parameter of interest is simultaneously element-wise and group-wise sparse. This problem is an important instance of the simultaneously structured model -- an actively studied topic in statistics and machine learning. In the noi…
This work frames active inference through control as inference, offering robust control algorithms.
problem Active inference framework lacks practical sensorimotor control algorithms.
method Frame active inference through control as inference, presenting trajectory optimization as inference.
result AI may be framed as partially-observed CaI when the cost function is defined in observation states.
The inverse statistical problem of finding direct interactions in complex networks is difficult. In the natural sciences, well-controlled perturbation experiments are widely used to probe the structure of complex networks. However, our understanding of how and why perturbations aid inference remains heuristic, and we l…
The detection of anomalous activity in graphs is a statistical problem that arises in many applications, such as network surveillance, disease outbreak detection, and activity monitoring in social networks. Beyond its wide applicability, graph structured anomaly detection serves as a case study in the difficulty of bal…
Developing active inference agents for edge devices with limited resources.
problem Creating effective active inference agents on edge devices with limited computational resources.
method Introducing a software toolbox to accelerate the development of active inference agents by non-experts.
result Accelerates the democratization of active inference agents for edge devices.
Active inference minimizes expected free energy for optimal behavior.
problem Understanding and optimizing behavior in complex systems.
method Combines Bayesian decision theory, optimal Bayesian design, and the free energy principle.
result Active inference emerges as a unified framework for information-seeking, utility maximization, and goal-directed behavior.
NAST generalizes scattering transform for non-stationary time series analysis.
problem Analyzing non-stationary time series data.
method Neural activation of scattering transform with various activation functions and high pass filters.
result Central and non-central limit theorems for NAST of Gaussian processes.
Deep active inference learns policies from sensory inputs.
problem Learning policies in partially observable domains.
method Optimizes expected free energy with a variational autoencoder.
result Comparable or better performance than deep Q-learning.
Active inference is a process theory of the brain that states that all living organisms infer actions in order to minimize their (expected) free energy. However, current experiments are limited to predefined, often discrete, state spaces. In this paper we use recent advances in deep learning to learn the state space an…
Functional connectivity refers to the temporal statistical relationship between spatially distinct brain regions and is usually inferred from the time series coherence/correlation in brain activity between regions of interest. In human functional brain networks, the network structure is often inferred from functional m…
Proposes a statistical test for VAE-based anomaly detection reliability.
problem Ensuring reliability of anomaly detection in high-stakes applications.
method Variance Autoencoder (VAE) Test based on selective inference.
result Validates VAE-based anomaly detection with p-values controlling false detection probability.
Study validates saliency maps of GNNs using selective inference.
problem Reliability of GNN saliency maps in graph-structured data.
method Statistical testing framework with selective inference to control Type I error rate.
result Valid p-values for salient subgraphs, ensuring meaningful information. To understand how rich dynamics emerge in neural populations, we require models exhibiting a wide range of activity patterns while remaining interpretable in terms of connectivity and single-neuron dynamics. However, it has been challenging to fit such mechanistic spiking networks at the single neuron scale to empirica…
Efficiently trains deep Gaussian processes with sparse approximations.
problem High computational complexity in training and inference for DGP models.
method Tensor Markov Gaussian Processes (TMGP) and hierarchical expansion to create DTMGP model.
result DTMGP model achieves superior computational efficiency compared to existing DGP models.
In reinforcement learning (RL), agents often operate in partially observed and uncertain environments. Model-based RL suggests that this is best achieved by learning and exploiting a probabilistic model of the world. 'Active inference' is an emerging normative framework in cognitive and computational neuroscience that …
Sparsification is an efficient approach to accelerate CNN inference, but it is challenging to take advantage of sparsity in training procedure because the involved gradients are dynamically changed. Actually, an important observation shows that most of the activation gradients in back-propagation are very close to zero…
Motivation: Untargeted metabolomics comprehensively characterizes small molecules and elucidates activities of biochemical pathways within a biological sample. Despite computational advances, interpreting collected measurements and determining their biological role remains a challenge. Results: To interpret measurement…
RLHF uses human feedback to train AI models, posing statistical challenges.
problem Aligning AI models with human preferences using noisy, subjective feedback.
method Supervised fine-tuning, reward modeling, policy optimization, statistical ideas.
result Statistical methods for reward function learning and policy optimization.
Deep active inference agents learn complex environments using Monte-Carlo methods.
problem Understanding and modeling biological intelligence in complex, continuous state-spaces.
method Neural architecture for deep active inference agents using multiple forms of Monte-Carlo sampling.
result Deep active inference agents can learn environmental dynamics and plan future actions.
New algorithm minimizes FE objectives for synthetic AIF agents.
problem Minimizing Free Energy for synthetic active inference agents.
method Variational message passing on Constrained FFGs.
result Message passing algorithms induce epistemic behavior in AIF agents.
ALINE optimizes Bayesian inference and data acquisition by strategically querying informative data.
problem Strategic acquisition of informative data for Bayesian inference in challenging tasks.
method Unified framework combining amortized Bayesian inference and active data acquisition using a transformer architecture trained via reinforcement learning.
result ALINE delivers both instant and accurate inference along with efficient selection of informative points.
Proposes an active RBI framework using Rényi information measures for more informed decision-making.
problem Optimal latent variable estimates in real-time settings with streaming noisy observations.
method Unified inference and query selection steps through Rényi entropy and α-divergence; new objective called Momentum for exploration.
result Analytically demonstrates superior performance compared to conventional methods like mutual information.
Probabilistic methods improve SHM by learning from noisy, incomplete data.
problem Noisy and incomplete SHM data, lack of prior labels.
method Probabilistic algorithms for semi-supervised, active, and multi-task learning.
result Probabilistic methods enhance SHM by incorporating new data.
We consider active maximum a posteriori (MAP) inference problem for Hidden Markov Models (HMM), where, given an initial MAP estimate of the hidden sequence, we select to label certain states in the sequence to improve the estimation accuracy of the remaining states. We develop an analytical approach to this problem for…
New comparison shows differences in how value is incorporated in AIF and CAI.
problem Clarifying the relationship between Active Inference and Control-as-Inference.
method Formal comparison of AIF and CAI frameworks.
result Primary difference is how value is incorporated into generative models.
Optimizes AI learning with limited human feedback budgets.
problem Optimizing allocation of a fixed annotation budget for AI learning.
method Preference-Calibrated Active Learning (PCAL) using semi-parametric inference.
result Proves asymptotic optimality and robustness of the PCAL estimator.
We present a Statistical Mechanics (SM) model of deep neural networks, connecting the energy-based and the feed forward networks (FFN) approach. We infer that FFN can be understood as performing three basic steps: encoding, representation validation and propagation. From the meanfield solution of the model, we obtain a…
The seemingly stochastic transient dynamics of neocortical circuits observed in vivo have been hypothesized to represent a signature of ongoing stochastic inference. In vitro neurons, on the other hand, exhibit a highly deterministic response to various types of stimulation. We show that an ensemble of deterministic le…