R package for counterfactual explanation methods.
problem Lack of unified interfaces for counterfactual explanation methods.
method Developed a modular R6-based interface for three existing counterfactual methods and proposed extensions.
result Comparison of implemented methods' quality and runtime behavior.
Post-hoc explanations of machine learning models are crucial for people to understand and act on algorithmic predictions. An intriguing class of explanations is through counterfactuals, hypothetical examples that show people how to obtain a different prediction. We posit that effective counterfactual explanations shoul…
DeDUCE efficiently generates realistic counterfactuals for image classifiers.
problem Generating accurate counterfactual explanations for large image classifiers.
method Developed a new algorithm using spectral normalization to efficiently generate counterfactuals.
result Our algorithm consistently produces counterfactuals closer to the original inputs with comparable realism.
We establish a foundation for multivariate counterfactual identification using dynamic optimal transport.
problem Addressing the open question of counterfactual identification for high-dimensional multivariate outcomes from observational data.
method Establish a foundation for multivariate counterfactual identification using continuous-time flows, including non-Markovian settings, with tools from dynamic optimal transport.
result Characterise the conditions under which flow matching yields a unique, monotone, and rank-preserving counterfactual transport map, ensuring consistent inference.
A new framework for robust and coherent counterfactual transports.
problem Estimating joint distributions over counterfactual outcomes in personalized decision-making and treatment risk assessment.
method Counterfactual cocycles that use algebraic structure to provide coherence and identifiability guarantees, bridging the gap between bijective SCMs and OT methods.
result Counterfactual cocycles provide state-of-the-art performance and noise-robustness across synthetic benchmarks and a real-world study.
New approach uses 'forward-looking' counterfactuals for treatment choice.
problem Using traditional 'retrospective' counterfactuals in treatment choice leads to counterintuitive results.
method Introduces 'counterfactual treatment choice' for forward-looking counterfactuals.
result Mismatches between interventional and forward-looking counterfactuals can lead to counterintuitive results.
The paper analyzes counterfactual invariance and its relation to conditional independence.
problem Understanding the relationship between counterfactual invariance and conditional independence.
method Theoretical analysis of existing definitions, graphical implications, and mathematical proofs.
result Counterfactual invariance implies conditional independence, but not the other way around.
New framework improves counterfactual predictions using causal inference.
problem Challenges in predicting counterfactual outcomes with limited covariates and high-dimensional outcomes.
method Variational Bayesian causal inference framework for counterfactual generative modeling.
result Framework encourages disentangled exogenous noise and correct identification of causal effects.
Counterfactual data augmentations may not ensure OOD robustness if performed by a context-guessing machine.
problem Deep learning models lack out-of-distribution robustness due to reliance on spurious features.
method Theoretical analysis and demonstration of counterfactual data augmentations performed by a context-guessing machine.
result Counterfactual data augmentations by a context-guessing machine do not lead to robust OOD classifiers.
New method improves model reconstruction using counterfactuals and polytope theory.
problem Reconstructing models with minimal input changes and avoiding decision boundary shifts.
method Using polytope theory to derive loss functions that treat counterfactuals differently from ordinary instances.
result Improves fidelity between target and surrogate model predictions on multiple datasets.
New method debiases counterfactual distributions using observational data.
problem Estimating counterfactual distributions under interventions without relying on observational data.
method Flow-matching approach to learn counterfactual distributions from observational data.
result Deconfounding flows outperform existing debiased counterfactual distribution estimators.
DeepBC method computes backtracking counterfactuals in deep causal models.
problem Computing valid counterfactuals in complex causal models.
method DeepBC method using Langevin Monte Carlo or constrained optimization.
result DeepBC provides causally compliant, versatile, and modular counterfactuals.
Proposes a method to generate counterfactuals for ensemble models using entropic risk measures.
problem Finding a single counterfactual explanation for an ensemble of models.
method Incorporates entropic risk measure into a constrained optimization to generate counterfactuals valid for an adjustable fraction of models.
result Entropic risk measure allows generation of counterfactuals valid for all models in the ensemble under a limiting case.
Counterfactual explanations can be obtained by identifying the smallest change made to a feature vector to qualitatively influence a prediction; for example, from 'loan rejected' to 'awarded' or from 'high risk of cardiovascular disease' to 'low risk'. Previous approaches often emphasized that counterfactuals should be…
New method warns of counterfactual non-identifiability in DSCMs.
problem Counterfactual inference from observational data is non-identifiable even without unobserved confounding.
method Prove counterfactual identifiability for monotonic generation mechanisms, provide impossibility result for general mechanisms, propose method for estimating worst-case errors.
result Non-identifiability of counterfactual inference from observational data, even in absence of unobserved confounding.
Develops methods for finding counterfactual explanations in sequential decision making.
problem Finding counterfactual explanations for sequential decision making processes.
method Formal characterization of sequential actions and states using Markov decision processes and Gumbel-Max structural causal model. Introduces a polynomial time algorithm based on dynamic programming.
result Algorithm finds optimal counterfactual explanations for sequential decision making.
New methods create counterfactuals for image regression models.
problem Creating interpretable explanations for regression models in images.
method Two methods using diffusion-based generative models to create counterfactuals.
result Diffusion-based methods produce realistic, semantic, and smooth counterfactuals.
Algorithm simulates counterfactuals for fairness analysis.
problem Analytical intractability of counterfactuals in conditional distributions.
method Proposes an algorithm using particle filtering for discrete and continuous variables.
result Asymptotically valid inference for counterfactuals.
In this paper, we study counterfactual fairness in text classification, which asks the question: How would the prediction change if the sensitive attribute referenced in the example were different? Toxicity classifiers demonstrate a counterfactual fairness issue by predicting that "Some people are gay" is toxic while "…
This study analyzes counterfactual explanations for student success models.
problem Improving trust in machine learning models for student success prediction.
method Comparison of counterfactual generation methods (WhatIf, Multi-Objective, Nearest Instance) for student success prediction models.
result WhatIf Counterfactual Explanations are more effective for student success prediction models.
New approach to counterfactual reasoning avoids demographic interventions.
problem Limitations of traditional counterfactual reasoning in AI systems.
method Backtracking counterfactual approach instead of interventional.
result Allows addressing social concerns without demographic interventions.
Counterfactual fairness not equivalent to demographic parity, finds study.
problem Equivalence between causal and probabilistic concepts in fairness metrics.
method Close examination of recent claim about counterfactual fairness.
result Counterfactual fairness is not equivalent to demographic parity.
New approach to counterfactual reasoning in AI and psychology.
problem Challenges to conventional counterfactual reasoning in AI and psychology.
method Formalizes a backtracking approach to counterfactuals within the SCM framework.
result First general account and algorithmisation of backtracking counterfactuals.
CVIB uses information theory to learn counterfactuals from MNAR data without RCTs.
problem Debiasing learning from missing-not-at-random (MNAR) data in recommendation systems.
method CVIB, a variational information bottleneck, separates task-aware mutual information into factual and counterfactual parts.
result CVIB significantly enhances both shallow and deep models in recommendation systems.
Counterfactuals help compare different scenarios in CI and XAI.
problem Comparing how counterfactuals are used in causal inference and explainable AI.
method Formal definition and comparison of counterfactuals in CI and XAI.
result Identified opportunities for cross-fertilization between CI and XAI.
The paper connects counterfactual fairness to robust prediction and group fairness using causal context.
problem The challenge of ensuring fairness in AI systems when counterfactuals cannot be directly observed.
method Using causal context to bridge counterfactual fairness, robust prediction, and group fairness.
result Counterfactual fairness is equivalent to group fairness metrics in specific contexts.
ARFs generate plausible counterfactuals for models, improving model understanding.
problem Creating realistic counterfactuals for model analysis.
method Adversarial Random Forests (ARFs) for generating plausible counterfactuals.
result ARFs efficiently generate plausible counterfactuals in a model-agnostic way.
Study uses artificial counterfactuals to show lockdowns reduced US case and death counts.
problem Impact of lockdowns on US case and death counts during the pandemic.
method Artificial counterfactual approach comparing states with and without lockdowns.
result Average two times more cases would have occurred without lockdowns.
EXOC framework uses auxiliary variables for counterfactual fairness in machine learning.
problem Balancing fairness and predictive accuracy in models with sensitive attributes.
method EXOC framework uses auxiliary variables to define an auxiliary node and a control node for counterfactual fairness.
result EXOC framework outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in achieving counterfactual fairness.
Study counterfactuals in cyclic systems with shifts and scales.
problem Counterfactual inference in cyclic systems with shifts and scales.
method Shift-scale interventions in cyclic SCMs.
result Valid inference in cyclic systems with shifts and scales.
This paper introduces collective counterfactual explanations for groups of instances in classification models.
problem Understanding how classification models make decisions for groups of instances.
method Novel Mathematical Optimization models to find collective counterfactual explanations that minimize total perturbation cost.
result Detects critical features for entire dataset classification and handles outliers.
The increasing deployment of machine learning as well as legal regulations such as EU's GDPR cause a need for user-friendly explanations of decisions proposed by machine learning models. Counterfactual explanations are considered as one of the most popular techniques to explain a specific decision of a model. While the…
Paper proposes a modified fairness constraint to address shortcomings of counterfactual fairness.
problem Counterfactual fairness is not a necessary condition for algorithmic fairness.
method Analyzed hypothetical scenario and explicated discrimination to develop causal relevance fairness.
result Causal relevance fairness is a modified constraint that circumvents shortcomings of counterfactual fairness.
New diffusion models improve counterfactual image generation with semantic control.
problem Challenges in preserving identity, maintaining quality, and ensuring causal model faithfulness in counterfactual image generation.
method Integrates semantic representations into diffusion models through Pearlian causality, introducing spatial, semantic, and dynamic abduction.
result Demonstrates high-level semantic identity preservation and principled trade-offs between faithful causal control and identity preservation.
Proposes MOC method for better counterfactual explanations in ML models.
problem Difficulties in balancing multiple objectives for counterfactual explanations.
method Translates counterfactual search into a multi-objective optimization problem.
result Returns diverse counterfactuals with different trade-offs and maintains feature diversity.
Proposes Exogenous Matching for efficient counterfactual estimation.
problem Efficient estimation of counterfactual expressions in general settings.
method Transforms variance minimization into conditional distribution learning.
result Outperforms other importance sampling methods in counterfactual estimation.
The paper tackles spurious correlations in machine learning models and introduces counterfactual invariance.
problem Spurious correlations in machine learning models that depend on irrelevant parts of input data.
method The paper uses causal inference to stress test models and introduces counterfactual invariance as a formal requirement.
result Counterfactual invariance is a requirement for models to be robust to irrelevant perturbations in input data.
RoBERTa model detects counterfactual statements in text.
problem Detecting and extracting counterfactual statements from text.
method Used RoBERTa language representation model for both subtasks.
result RoBERTa achieved top performance in both subtasks at SemEval-2020.
Proposes a method to generate realistic counterfactuals by learning relationships.
problem Counterfactual explanations often ignore intrinsic relationships between data attributes.
method Uses a variational auto-encoder to learn relationships and perturb the latent space.
result The model preserves relationships and generates realistic counterfactuals.
DECE visualizes machine learning decisions with counterfactual explanations.
problem Making machine learning models transparent and explainable.
method Interactive visualization system supporting counterfactual explanations at instance- and subgroup-levels.
result DECE enables users to explore and understand machine learning model decisions.
This manuscript contributes a general and practical framework for casting a Markov process model of a system at equilibrium as a structural causal model, and carrying out counterfactual inference. Markov processes mathematically describe the mechanisms in the system, and predict the system's equilibrium behavior upon i…
Proposes a method to create fair, robust predictors that remain consistent across different scenarios.
problem Creating fair and robust machine learning models that behave consistently across different scenarios.
method Graphical criteria and a model-agnostic framework called CIP based on HSCIC.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of CIP in enforcing counterfactual invariance across various datasets.
ADIGen: Automatic, Debiased, and Invariant Counterfactual Generation
problem Generative models for counterfactual outcomes
method ADIGen combines Riesz regression, causal invariance, and orthogonal statistical learning
result ADIGen controls counterfactual risk under general interventions
Method for explaining machine learning survival models using counterfactuals.
problem Tackles the challenge of explaining survival models in machine learning.
method Introduces a condition based on the difference of mean times to event for counterfactual explanation. Reduces the problem to a convex optimization problem for Cox models and applies Particle Swarm Optimization for other models.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method through numerical experiments.
Study evaluates counterfactual explanations using Pearl's method.
problem Bias in counterfactual explanations generated from machine learning models.
method Evaluates counterfactual explanations using Judea Pearl's counterfactual method.
result Thirty percent of counterfactual explanations conflicted with Pearl's method.
Proposes a robust method for counterfactual classification.
problem Decision-making under hypothetical scenarios.
method Doubly-robust nonparametric estimator for counterfactual classification.
result Robust against nuisance model misspecification, can attain fast n \sqrt{n} n rates. A new method generates counterfactual treatment outcomes for time-varying treatments.
problem Estimating counterfactual outcomes for time-varying treatments with high-dimensional outcomes.
method Conditional generative framework with inverse probability re-weighting.
result Our method outperforms state-of-the-art baselines in generating high-quality counterfactual samples.
CPME embeds counterfactual outcomes in RKHS for flexible policy evaluation.
problem Estimating counterfactual policy outcomes for decision-making.
method Counterfactual Policy Mean Embedding (CPME) framework in RKHS, plug-in and doubly robust estimators, kernel test statistic.
result Doubly robust estimator improves convergence rates and asymptotic normality.