Understanding how a learned black box works is of crucial interest for the future of Machine Learning. In this paper, we pioneer the question of the global interpretability of learned black box models that assign numerical values to symbolic sequential data. To tackle that task, we propose a spectral algorithm for the …
Efficiently optimizes boolean functions using multilinear polynomials and exponential weight updates.
problem Optimizing boolean functions over the boolean hypercube with high computational cost.
method Proposes a computationally efficient algorithm using multilinear polynomials and exponential weight updates.
result Improves computational time up to several orders of magnitude compared to state-of-the-art algorithms.
New analysis improves black-box k-PCA algorithms, reducing parameter loss.
problem Designing efficient k-PCA algorithms with black-box access to a 1-PCA oracle. method Black-box deflation methods, analyzing ePCA and cPCA approximations.
result Deflation methods suffer no asymptotic parameter loss for k-cPCA in feasible regimes. New symmetries improve meta-reinforcement learning's generalization.
problem Black-box meta reinforcement learning struggles with generalization.
method Introduce symmetries to a black-box meta RL system.
result Incorporating symmetries improves generalization to new environments.
Unified approach for sequence design combining likelihood-free inference and black-box optimization.
problem Designing biological sequences efficiently and accurately.
method Unified probabilistic framework integrating likelihood-free inference and black-box optimization.
result Previous optimization methods can be adapted and new algorithms proposed within this framework.
New algorithms improve on consistency and robustness in convex function chasing with black-box advice.
problem Minimizing cost in normed vector space with black-box advice for convex function chasing.
method Two novel algorithms: INTERP and BDINTERP, exploiting convexity to achieve improved consistency and robustness.
result BDINTERP achieves near-optimal consistency-robustness trade-off for α-polyhedral cost functions.
Bayesian Algorithm Execution uses mutual information to infer properties of black-box functions efficiently.
problem Estimating computable properties of expensive black-box functions with limited evaluations.
method Sequentially choosing queries that maximize mutual information with respect to the algorithm's output.
result InfoBAX reduces query counts by up to 500 times compared to the original algorithm.
Paper introduces DNTs to clone black-box models efficiently.
problem Cloning functionality of black-box models.
method Deep Neural Trees (DNTs) trained with active learning.
result Trained DNT can clone task-specific behavior of black-box models.
Stabilizing black-box algorithms through task-oriented randomization
problem Ensuring stability of black-box models
method Task-oriented randomization
result Established rigorous theoretical foundations and demonstrated effectiveness through simulations and real-world applications
Optimum-statistical collaboration improves black-box optimization efficiency.
problem Improving black-box optimization efficiency through better statistical collaboration.
method Introducing optimum-statistical collaboration framework for hierarchical bandits-based optimization.
result Demonstrated improved regret bounds and better performance in experiments.
New framework converts offline to online estimation using black-box offline estimators.
problem Convert offline estimation algorithms to online estimation algorithms.
method Oracle-Efficient Online Estimation (OEOE) framework.
result Achieves near-optimal online estimation error via black-box offline estimators.
Depending on how much information an adversary can access to, adversarial attacks can be classified as white-box attack and black-box attack. For white-box attack, optimization-based attack algorithms such as projected gradient descent (PGD) can achieve relatively high attack success rates within moderate iterates. How…
New method improves HPO interpretability without sacrificing performance.
problem Difficulty in understanding HPO algorithms due to black-box nature.
method Coupling Bayesian optimization with Bayesian Algorithm Execution.
result More reliable IML explanations without compromising optimization performance.
New approach turns optimal stationary RL into non-stationary RL without prior knowledge.
problem Optimal RL in non-stationary environments without prior knowledge of non-stationarity.
method Black-box reduction of optimal stationary RL algorithms to non-stationary RL.
result Achieves optimal dynamic regret bounds in various RL settings.
P-BO reduces black-box adversarial attacks by 10x with Bayesian optimization and function prior.
problem Efficiently generating adversarial examples against black-box models.
method Prior-guided Bayesian Optimization (P-BO) with a function prior initialized from a surrogate model.
result Significantly reduces the number of queries needed for adversarial attacks.
We propose an intriguingly simple method for the construction of adversarial images in the black-box setting. In constrast to the white-box scenario, constructing black-box adversarial images has the additional constraint on query budget, and efficient attacks remain an open problem to date. With only the mild assumpti…
Paper advances black-box VI using flows and Monte-Carlo methods.
problem Improving automatic posterior inference in black-box VI.
method Combines normalizing flows, Monte-Carlo methods, and optimization considerations.
result Significant improvement in state-of-the-art variational inference.
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.
New black-box attack method improves GNN defense without needing training data.
problem Vulnerability of Graph Neural Networks to adversarial attacks.
method Developed a gradient-based black-box attack algorithm, BBGA, which does not require access to training data.
result BBGA achieves stable attack performance without accessing training sets, and is effective against various defenses.
We present a black-box adversarial attack algorithm which sets new state-of-the-art model evasion rates for query efficiency in the ℓ∞ and ℓ2 metrics, where only loss-oracle access to the model is available. On two public black-box attack challenges, the algorithm achieves the highest evasion rate, sur…
New method turns optimization algorithms into uniformly stable learning algorithms for non-Euclidean norms.
problem Non-Euclidean norms in binary classification problems.
method Black-box reduction method using uniformly convex regularizers.
result Achieves optimal statistical risk bounds on excess risk for non-Euclidean norms.
Zeroth-order optimization is an important research topic in machine learning. In recent years, it has become a key tool in black-box adversarial attack to neural network based image classifiers. However, existing zeroth-order optimization algorithms rarely extract second-order information of the model function. In this…
Efficiently controls unknown linear systems with black-box interactions.
problem Controlling an unknown linear dynamical system from black-box interactions.
method First efficient algorithm with sublinear regret, using robust system identification.
result Resolves open problem on stochastic LQR and black-box LQR control.
Develops black-box methods to estimate parameters of complex models.
problem Lack of efficient methods to produce simulations for complex statistical models.
method Pre-training deep neural networks on extensive simulated databases for well-structured likelihoods. Iterative algorithm for other complex dependencies.
result Successfully estimates and quantifies uncertainty of parameters from non-Gaussian models.
Bayesian optimization tackles non-smooth tuning problems.
problem Optimizing black-box functions with non-smoothness and limited samples.
method Proposed a clustered Gaussian process (cGP) model for non-smooth optimization.
result Improvement of up to 90% in performance for repetitive experiments.
LA-MCTS learns search space partition for black-box optimization using Monte Carlo Tree Search.
problem High-dimensional black-box optimization challenges.
method LA-MCTS recursively splits search space into regions with high/low function values, learns nonlinear partition and local models online.
result LA-MCTS achieves strong performance in black-box optimization and reinforcement learning benchmarks, especially for high-dimensional problems.
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.
New bounds estimate learning algorithm performance using prediction information.
problem Estimating the performance of black-box learning algorithms.
method Information-theoretic bounds based on prediction information.
result Improved bounds applicable to deterministic algorithms and easier to estimate.
New action poisoning attacks improve LinUCB's performance by changing action signals.
problem Improving understanding of adversarial attacks on contextual bandit algorithms.
method Proposed action poisoning attacks in white-box and black-box settings.
result Action poisoning attacks can force LinUCB to pull a target arm frequently with low cost.
Weak supervision challenges black-box models, suggesting fusion of modeling cultures.
problem Challenges of strong supervision in achieving accurate predictions.
method Integrating data modeling into algorithmic modeling for weak supervision.
result Integration of data modeling culture improves model stability and accuracy.
DAL enhances black-box bandit algorithms for non-stationary environments.
problem Non-stationary environments in bandit problems.
method DAL combines any stationary bandit algorithm with a change detector.
result DAL consistently outperforms state-of-the-art methods in various non-stationary scenarios.
ALFI improves likelihood-free inference for black-box generators.
problem Limitations of likelihood-free inference on black-box generators.
method Adversarial Likelihood-Free Inference (ALFI) to estimate posterior distributions.
result ALFI achieves best parameter estimation accuracy with limited simulation.
Guarantees convergence for black-box variational inference without modifications.
problem Convergence guarantees for black-box variational inference.
method Analysis of log-smooth posterior densities, location-scale variational family, and convergence rates of algorithm design choices.
result Proximal stochastic gradient descent fixes suboptimal convergence rates and achieves strongest known guarantees.
Neural networks play an increasingly important role in the field of machine learning and are included in many applications in society. Unfortunately, neural networks suffer from adversarial samples generated to attack them. However, most of the generation approaches either assume that the attacker has full knowledge of…
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…
Algorithm optimizes and infers performance online, improving reliability.
problem Balancing optimization and statistical inference in complex systems.
method Online algorithm that provides consistent performance variance and confidence intervals.
result Online consistent estimator for performance variance and asymptotic confidence intervals.
We study the problem of generating adversarial examples in a black-box setting in which only loss-oracle access to a model is available. We introduce a framework that conceptually unifies much of the existing work on black-box attacks, and we demonstrate that the current state-of-the-art methods are optimal in a natura…
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.
PCTS optimizes noisy, delayed, multi-fidelity feedbacks in black-box optimization.
problem Optimizing unknown functions with noisy, delayed, and multi-fidelity feedbacks.
method ProCrastinated Tree Search (PCTS) with DUCB1 and DUCBV algorithms.
result PCTS achieves better regret bounds for delayed, noisy, and multi-fidelity feedbacks.
We study the problem of black-box optimization of a noisy function in the presence of low-cost approximations or fidelities, which is motivated by problems like hyper-parameter tuning. In hyper-parameter tuning evaluating the black-box function at a point involves training a learning algorithm on a large data-set at a …
Variational inference has become a widely used method to approximate posteriors in complex latent variables models. However, deriving a variational inference algorithm generally requires significant model-specific analysis, and these efforts can hinder and deter us from quickly developing and exploring a variety of mod…
New method improves black-box attacks using pre-trained models.
problem Efficiently attacking black-box models with limited information.
method EigenBA algorithm leveraging pre-trained white-box model's Jacobian matrix.
result Optimal perturbations are related to right singular vectors of Jacobian matrix.
This work addresses the situation where a black-box model with good predictive performance is chosen over its interpretable competitors, and we show interpretability is still achievable in this case. Our solution is to find an interpretable substitute on a subset of data where the black-box model is overkill or nearly …
Note that this paper is superceded by "Black-Box Adversarial Attacks with Limited Queries and Information." Current neural network-based image classifiers are susceptible to adversarial examples, even in the black-box setting, where the attacker is limited to query access without access to gradients. Previous methods -…
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.
Master algorithm selects best contextual bandit from a collection.
problem Model selection in stochastic contextual bandit setting.
method Random selection with probability adjustment based on comparison of cumulative rewards.
result Achieves the same regret rate as the best candidate in a collection of black-box algorithms.
This work defines observation-specific explanations for black-box models.
problem Assigning importance to data points in black-box model predictions.
method Surrogate model construction using scattered data approximation and orthogonal matching pursuit.
result Validated approach on simulated and real-world datasets.
We interpret black box predictive models using causal attribution.
problem Interpreting models trained using machine learning in high-stakes applications.
method Estimate causal effects of model inputs on output using observational data.
result Effective interpretation of black box predictive models via causal attribution.