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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
Counterfactual evaluation of novel treatment assignment functions (e.g., advertising algorithms and recommender systems) is one of the most crucial causal inference problems for practitioners. Traditionally, randomized controlled trials (A/B tests) are performed to evaluate treatment assignment functions. However, such…
Develops algorithm to make fair decisions from biased data.
problem Ethical concerns in machine learning fairness.
method Fair Learning through Data Preprocessing (FLAP) algorithm.
result Counterfactual fairness equivalent to conditional independence.
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.
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.
CFRecs uses counterfactual reasoning to improve graph-based recommendations in real estate.
problem Improving model interpretability and actionable insights in graph-based recommender systems.
method A two-stage architecture combining GNN and Graph-VAE to propose minimal yet impactful changes in graph structure and node attributes.
result Demonstrates effectiveness in delivering actionable recommendations for home buyers and sellers.
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.
Develops methods to improve demand counterfactuals from imperfect proxies.
problem Imperfect proxies in demand models lead to biased counterfactuals and invalid inference.
method Practical toolkit for market-level and individual data, requiring minimal computation.
result Improves substitution prediction and counterfactual performance.
The paper introduces CPICFs for better counterfactual explanations in high-dimensional spaces.
problem Creating useful counterfactual explanations for complex machine learning models.
method Modeling individual knowledge and using conformal prediction intervals to identify informative counterfactuals.
result CPICFs provide more informative counterfactuals by considering individual knowledge and prediction uncertainty.
This paper introduces DCE for better counterfactual explanations using optimal transport.
problem Lack of nuanced distributional characteristics in existing counterfactual explanations.
method Formulates a chance-constrained optimization problem using optimal transport to derive counterfactual distributions.
result DCE provides deeper insights into decision-making models by aligning counterfactual distributions with factual ones.
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.
MCCE generates realistic counterfactual explanations for tabular data.
problem Creating valid and actionable counterfactual explanations for complex tabular data.
method MCCE models the joint distribution of features and decision using an autoregressive generative model with decision trees. It samples counterfactuals and removes invalid ones.
result MCCE outperforms state-of-the-art methods on various performance metrics and is faster.
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.
This paper tackles confounding biases in data augmentation.
problem Mitigating spurious correlations and confounding variables in training data.
method Formal analysis and counterfactual data augmentation.
result Removing confounding biases leads to invariant features and better generalization.
We define and compute plausible counterfactual explanations using density constraints.
problem Efficiently compute plausible counterfactual explanations for machine learning models.
method Propose and study a formal definition of plausible counterfactual explanations, use density estimators, and introduce convex density constraints.
result Convex density constraints ensure plausible and feasible counterfactual explanations.
Work proposes CLAIRE to achieve counterfactual fairness from observational data without causal models.
problem Achieving counterfactual fairness from observational data without prior causal models.
method Proposes CLAIRE, a representation learning framework based on counterfactual data augmentation and an invariant penalty.
result CLAIRE effectively mitigates biases from the sensitive attribute and improves counterfactual fairness and prediction performance.
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.
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 research challenges the idea that counterfactual explanations should be sparse.
problem Predictive multiplicity leads to multiple models giving almost equal solutions.
method Derive a general upper bound for counterfactual costs under multiplicity and compare sparse vs. data support approaches.
result Data support methods are more robust to multiplicity but have higher counterfactual costs.
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.
CEA augments reinforcement learning by generating counterfactual experiences.
problem Challenges in reinforcement learning, especially out-of-distribution and inefficient exploration.
method CEA uses variational autoencoders to model state transitions and introduces randomness for non-stationarity. It expands learning data through counterfactual inference.
result CEA outperforms SOTA algorithms in diverse environments.
Develops a Causal Transformer for estimating counterfactual outcomes from longitudinal data.
problem Estimating counterfactual outcomes over time from observational data is challenging due to complex, long-range dependencies.
method Combines three transformer subnetworks with separate inputs for time-varying covariates, previous treatments, and previous outcomes into a joint network with in-between cross-attentions. Uses a custom, end-to-end training procedure with a counterfactual domain confusion loss to address confounding bias.
result Achieves superior performance over current baselines in synthetic and real-world datasets.
Generative models explain machine learning predictions with counterfactual instances.
problem Generating human-interpretable insights into machine learning model predictions.
method Sparse counterfactual explanations using conditional generative models.
result Single forward pass generates batches of counterfactual instances.
New method predicts outcomes even when some factors are not used in models.
problem Predicting outcomes under runtime confounding where some factors are unavailable.
method Doubly-robust procedure for counterfactual predictions.
result Method often outperforms competing approaches in runtime confounding.
FOCUS method forecasts counterfactuals in panel data with time series dynamics.
problem Forecasting unobserved potential outcomes in causal inference with missing entries and latent factors.
method FOCUS extends matrix completion methods by leveraging time series dynamics of latent factors.
result FOCUS method outperforms existing benchmarks in predicting future counterfactuals.
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.
Paper introduces Native Guide for generating time series counterfactual explanations.
problem Lack of explainability for time series data in AI systems.
method Model-agnostic, instance-based counterfactual generation for time series classification.
result Native Guide produces better counterfactual explanations than benchmarks.
New RL method learns policies from few data using causal models.
problem Limited interaction data and heterogeneous patient responses.
method Exploits structural causal models to model state dynamics and counterfactual reasoning.
result Counterfactual RL algorithms converge to optimal value function.
Proposes sparse local and regional counterfactual rules for robust recourses.
problem Challenges in counterfactual explanations, especially stability, synthesis, and implementation.
method Probabilistic framework using Random Forest to derive sparse local and regional counterfactual rules.
result Effective recourses derived from high-density regions, providing sparse and robust counterfactual rules.
The paper tackles counterfactual inference with multioutput deep kernels in high-dimensional settings.
problem Performing counterfactual inference with observational data in high-dimensional settings with multiple actions and outcomes.
method The paper presents a general class of counterfactual multi-task deep kernels models based on Structural Causal Models (SCM) and Gaussian Processes.
result The models estimate causal effects and learn policies efficiently, scaling well with high dimensions.
The paper proposes a method to generate diverse counterfactual explanations for anomaly detection in time series data.
problem Lack of helpful explanations for anomaly detection models in time series data.
method Model-agnostic algorithm that generates diverse counterfactual examples for anomaly detection models.
result The method produces counterfactual examples that are not considered anomalous by the detection model and satisfy validity, plausibility, and closeness criteria.
A deep RL approach generates counterfactual instances efficiently.
problem Efficient generation of counterfactual instances for large datasets and diverse models.
method Deep reinforcement learning to optimize counterfactual instances in a single forward pass.
result Model-agnostic and scalable counterfactual generation.
Learning representations for counterfactual inference from observational data is of high practical relevance for many domains, such as healthcare, public policy and economics. Counterfactual inference enables one to answer "What if...?" questions, such as "What would be the outcome if we gave this patient treatment $t_…
New definition of patient-specific root causes of disease using counterfactuals.
problem Lack of rigorous mathematical formulation for automatic detection of root causes.
method Proposes a counterfactual definition matching clinical intuition and uses Shapley values for causal contribution scores.
result Adapts to disease prevalence, accounts for noisy labels, and admits fast computation.
New method for estimating counterfactual means in adaptive experiments.
problem Inference for counterfactual means in sequentially designed experiments with adaptive treatment policies.
method Latent factor model and nearest neighbors method for estimation.
result Asymptotically valid confidence intervals for counterfactual means established.
G-Net uses deep learning for complex counterfactual outcome prediction.
problem Estimating counterfactual outcomes under dynamic treatment strategies.
method G-Net is a sequential deep learning framework for G-computation.
result G-Net can handle complex temporal data and provide accurate treatment effects.
Counterfactual inference has become a ubiquitous tool in online advertisement, recommendation systems, medical diagnosis, and econometrics. Accurate modeling of outcome distributions associated with different interventions -- known as counterfactual distributions -- is crucial for the success of these applications. In …
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.
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…
Quantum oracles help identify counterfactuals better than classical ones.
problem Identifying unknown causal parameters in causal models.
method Using quantum oracles to query and identify all causal parameters and counterfactuals.
result Quantum oracles enable identification of all two-way joint counterfactuals and tighter bounds on higher-order counterfactuals.
CDM models counterfactual outcomes in longitudinal data with improved accuracy.
problem Predicting counterfactual outcomes in longitudinal data with complex time-dependent confounding.
method Causal Diffusion Model (CDM) using denoising diffusion architecture with relational self-attention.
result CDM outperforms state-of-the-art methods in generating full probabilistic distributions of counterfactual outcomes.
DCM uses diffusion models to answer causal queries from observational data.
problem Answering causal queries from observational data alone.
method Diffusion models to learn causal mechanisms and generate latent encodings.
result Significant improvements over existing methods for causal query answering.