Develops significance tests for neural networks without strong assumptions or excessive computation.
problem Addressing the black-box nature of deep neural networks for feature relevance testing.
method Derives one-split and two-split tests relaxing assumptions and computational complexity.
result Establishes asymptotic null distributions and consistency in Type II error.
Paper proposes a black-box technique to generate adversarial samples.
problem Robustness of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) to adversarial samples.
method Black-box Momentum Iterative Fast Gradient Sign Method (BMI-FGSM) using Differential Evolution to approximate gradients.
result Achieves high success rates in generating adversarial samples and misclassification.
Black-box optimization is primarily important for many compute-intensive applications, including reinforcement learning (RL), robot control, etc. This paper presents a novel theoretical framework for black-box optimization, in which our method performs stochastic update with the implicit natural gradient of an exponent…
Black-box risk scoring models permeate our lives, yet are typically proprietary or opaque. We propose Distill-and-Compare, a model distillation and comparison approach to audit such models. To gain insight into black-box models, we treat them as teachers, training transparent student models to mimic the risk scores ass…
New approach tackles non-stationary multi-agent games with black-box methods.
problem Challenges in learning equilibria in non-stationary multi-agent systems.
method Versatile black-box approach applicable to various games, including general-sum, potential, and Markov games.
result Achieves optimal regret bounds for non-stationary games, with or without knowledge of total variation.
Faced with distribution shift between training and test set, we wish to detect and quantify the shift, and to correct our classifiers without test set labels. Motivated by medical diagnosis, where diseases (targets) cause symptoms (observations), we focus on label shift, where the label marginal p(y) changes but the …
Deep-PrAE improves rare-event simulation for black-box systems.
problem Evaluating rare safety-critical events in learning-based systems.
method Combines deep neural networks with IS to create statistically guaranteed estimations.
result Deep-PrAE provides accurate bounds on safety-critical event probabilities.
New method optimizes black-box functions using generative models and Wasserstein distance.
problem Optimizing black-box functions with stochastic responses in high dimensions.
method Deep generative surrogate models and Wasserstein distance for uncertainty estimation.
result Method outperforms state-of-the-art methods in robustness to function shape and stochasticity.
Survey of algorithms for testing AI-driven CPS safety.
problem Testing AI-driven CPS for safety in complex environments.
method Survey of applied algorithms for safety validation.
result Survey of existing tools and techniques for safety validation.
In science and medicine, model interpretations may be reported as discoveries of natural phenomena or used to guide patient treatments. In such high-stakes tasks, false discoveries may lead investigators astray. These applications would therefore benefit from control over the finite-sample error rate of interpretations…
Powerful adversarial attack methods are vital for understanding how to construct robust deep neural networks (DNNs) and for thoroughly testing defense techniques. In this paper, we propose a black-box adversarial attack algorithm that can defeat both vanilla DNNs and those generated by various defense techniques develo…
Method optimizes diffusion model generation to meet user preferences.
problem Optimizing diffusion model generation with only black-box target scores.
method Covariance-adaptive sequential optimization algorithm for black-box optimization.
result Proves superior performance in achieving better target scores.
The paper tests semantic importance in opaque models using betting.
problem Precise statistical guarantees for semantic concepts in black-box models.
method Formalizes global and local statistical importance via conditional independence and SKIT.
result Shows effectiveness and flexibility of the framework on various models.
Interpretable machine learning has become a strong competitor for traditional black-box models. However, the possible loss of the predictive performance for gaining interpretability is often inevitable, putting practitioners in a dilemma of choosing between high accuracy (black-box models) and interpretability (interpr…
While autonomous vehicle (AV) technology has shown substantial progress, we still lack tools for rigorous and scalable testing. Real-world testing, the de-facto evaluation method, is dangerous to the public. Moreover, due to the rare nature of failures, billions of miles of driving are needed to statisticall…
REST improves robustness of black-box models to geometric transformations.
problem Overconfident incorrect predictions on out-of-distribution samples.
method REinforcement Spatial Transform learner (REST) that transforms input data into in-distribution samples.
result Improves robustness to geometric transformations and sample efficiency.
Develops a method to continuously audit black-box conditional quantile forecasts.
problem Continuous monitoring of black-box forecasts under changing data streams and regimes.
method Distribution-free and game-theoretic testing framework for non-i.i.d. losses.
result Derives finite-time detection guarantees for miscalibrated forecasts based on features.
New framework limits testing algorithmic stability under computational constraints.
problem Testing algorithmic stability is computationally hard.
method Unified framework for quantifying stability hardness.
result Exhaustive search is the only universally valid mechanism for certifying stability.
Hybrid neural network infers states from black-box systems.
problem Inference of state models in black-box systems without source code instrumentation.
method Convolutional and recurrent layers learn correlations between time series signals.
result Improves state change point detection by up to 102%.
Analyzing large-scale, multi-experiment studies requires scientists to test each experimental outcome for statistical significance and then assess the results as a whole. We present Black Box FDR (BB-FDR), an empirical-Bayes method for analyzing multi-experiment studies when many covariates are gathered per experiment.…
AST provides a method to validate safe autonomy without unsafe simplifications.
problem Validation of safe autonomy in complex systems.
method Adaptive Stress Testing (AST) approach.
result AST can find failures without unsafe simplifications.
Develops causal explanations for black-box classifiers.
problem Creating understandable explanations for complex models.
method Generative model with information-theoretic measures of causal influence.
result Learned latent factors influence classifier outputs.
Real-world machine learning applications often have complex test metrics, and may have training and test data that are not identically distributed. Motivated by known connections between complex test metrics and cost-weighted learning, we propose addressing these issues by using a weighted loss function with a standard…
Model proposes how regulators should oversee complex algorithms in high-stakes applications.
problem Regulating complex algorithms used in high-stakes applications like lending, testing, and hiring.
method Proposes a model where regulators are limited in learning about complex algorithms with misaligned preferences, and explores different regulatory approaches.
result Complex algorithms can improve welfare, but regulation should focus on the source of incentive misalignment for optimal results.
Trieste optimizes black-box functions using TensorFlow for efficient decision-making.
problem Optimizing complex, black-box functions efficiently.
method Bayesian optimization and active learning with TensorFlow integration.
result Trieste enables efficient exploration of black-box functions.
This paper explores how the generalization of substitute classifiers affects the success of black-box adversarial attacks.
problem Understanding the factors driving the transferability of black-box adversarial examples.
method Max-min adversarial example game framework and theoretical generalization bounds.
result Substitute NN with better generalization behavior results in more transferable adversarial examples.
Proposes a method to ensure accurate estimation of rare events in AI systems.
problem Lack of efficiency guarantees in black-box systems for rare-event simulation.
method Integrates deep learning with importance sampling to create a statistically guaranteed estimator.
result Demonstrates effective estimation of rare-event probabilities in AI systems.
The paper proposes a test to assess rater accuracy while accounting for rater covariates.
problem Assessing the accuracy of raters in medical imaging and forensic studies.
method Covariate-adjusted homogeneity test to determine differences in accuracy among multiple rater groups.
result The proposed test identifies statistically significant differences among five participant groups in a face recognition study.
New algorithm tests model calibration in nearly-linear time.
problem Testing model calibration from samples efficiently.
method Reformulated as minimum-cost flow, solved with dynamic programming.
result Optimal testing problem solved in nearly-linear time.
Research in both machine learning and psychology suggests that salient examples can help humans to interpret learning models. To this end, we take a novel look at black box interpretation of test predictions in terms of training examples. Our goal is to ask `which training examples are most responsible for a given set …
With the rapid adoption of machine learning systems in sensitive applications, there is an increasing need to make black-box models explainable. Often we want to identify an influential group of training samples in a particular test prediction for a given machine learning model. Existing influence functions tackle this…
MPHD transfers knowledge across different domains for Bayesian optimization.
problem Optimizing functions with unknown or diverse domains.
method MPHD uses neural nets to map domain-specific contexts to GP specifications, enabling transfer learning across heterogeneous search spaces.
result MPHD improves black-box function optimization performance on diverse domains.
New method estimates data influence efficiently by leveraging test samples.
problem Efficiently estimating influence of training data on model predictions.
method Mirrored Influence Hypothesis, forward pass for test samples.
result Significant improvement in efficiency over existing methods.
Recently, neural networks trained as optimizers under the "learning to learn" or meta-learning framework have been shown to be effective for a broad range of optimization tasks including derivative-free black-box function optimization. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) trained to optimize a diverse set of synthetic non-…
Most of the work on interpretable machine learning has focused on designing either inherently interpretable models, which typically trade-off accuracy for interpretability, or post-hoc explanation systems, which lack guarantees about their explanation quality. We propose an alternative to these approaches by directly r…
Deep neural networks (DNNs) are known for their vulnerability to adversarial examples. These are examples that have undergone small, carefully crafted perturbations, and which can easily fool a DNN into making misclassifications at test time. Thus far, the field of adversarial research has mainly focused on image model…
S-LIME stabilizes LIME for more reliable model explanations.
problem Instability of post hoc explanation methods like LIME.
method Uses hypothesis testing based on central limit theorem to stabilize explanations.
result Demonstrates effectiveness of S-LIME on simulated and real-world data.
New framework for variational coresets simplifies Bayesian inference for complex models.
problem Efficient Bayesian inference for complex models like neural networks.
method Black-box variational inference for coresets that handle intractable posterior distributions.
result Principled application of variational coresets to Bayesian neural networks.
Optimizing expensive black-box systems with limited data is an extremely challenging problem. As a resolution, we present a new surrogate optimization approach by addressing two gaps in prior research -- unimportant input variables and inefficient treatment of uncertainty associated with the black-box output. We first …
Proposes a black-box attack to test clustering algorithms' robustness.
problem Testing robustness of clustering algorithms against adversarial noise.
method Formulates as a constrained minimization problem, uses custom AGA for optimization.
result Demonstrates sensitivity of clustering algorithms to adversarial samples.
Sparse perturbations improve convergence in SZO methods for faster training.
problem Dependency of SZO methods on function dimensionality limits their convergence speed.
method Sparse perturbations reduce the effective dimensionality of the optimization problem.
result Sparse SZO optimization leads to faster convergence in training loss and test accuracy.
NeurT-FDR controls FDR by incorporating auxiliary covariates in deep learning.
problem Controlling FDR in complex large-scale problems with indirect relations among covariates.
method NeurT-FDR uses a deep Black-Box framework that parametrizes test-level covariates as a neural network and adjusts auxiliary covariates through a regression framework.
result NeurT-FDR makes substantially more discoveries in real datasets compared to competitive baselines.
Throughout the last decade, random forests have established themselves as among the most accurate and popular supervised learning methods. While their black-box nature has made their mathematical analysis difficult, recent work has established important statistical properties like consistency and asymptotic normality b…
PyBADS optimizes complex functions quickly and reliably.
problem Optimizing rough, noisy, and expensive functions with unknown gradients.
method Bayesian Adaptive Direct Search (BADS) algorithm.
result PyBADS performs well on both artificial and real-world problems.
Framework certifies fairness of machine learning models interactively and privately.
problem Certifying fairness of machine learning models in privacy-preserving scenarios.
method Interactive test with cryptographic techniques for fairness certification.
result Empirical evaluation of fairness for various models and definitions.
Survey and benchmark high-dimensional Bayesian optimization of discrete sequences.
problem Heterogeneous experimental set-ups and technical barriers in high-dimensional Bayesian optimization of discrete sequences.
method Unified framework and software libraries to test and benchmark methods.
result Unified framework and software libraries for testing and benchmarking high-dimensional Bayesian optimization methods.
GTBO uses group testing to optimize high-dimensional functions efficiently.
problem Challenges in optimizing high-dimensional, expensive functions due to the curse of dimensionality.
method GTBO combines testing and optimization phases to identify active variables and guide efficient optimization.
result GTBO outperforms state-of-the-art methods on high-dimensional optimization tasks.
Improved A/B testing by leveraging system similarities.
problem Traditional A/B testing ignores potential system similarities.
method Off-policy estimation to exploit system propensities.
result Improved A/B testing estimators achieve better accuracy.