How Complexity Contributes to Learning Opacity in Machine Learning
Mirrored from arXiv — Machine Learning for archival readability. Support the source by reading on the original site.
Computer Science > Machine Learning
Title:How Complexity Contributes to Learning Opacity in Machine Learning
Abstract:Machine learning (ML) algorithms are known to be opaque. We do not know the reasons for their predictions. The learning process leading to the prediction function is also opaque. We do not fully understand the time evolution of the weight values of neural nets (NN) and related dynamical phenomena. While prediction opacity is widely studied, learning opacity remains largely underexplored. This article studies learning opacity trough the lens of complex dynamical systems. We argue that NN learning is essentially a complex system and that learning opacity is due to dynamical complexity and the epistemological challenges that arise from it. We identify three key properties of training complexity -- sensitivity to weight initialization, feedback in gradient based optimization, and sensitivity to the training data -- and show how each contributes to learning opacity. As these properties are fundamental to the learning process damping or eliminating them would fundamentally alter how ML systems learn. Some sources of opacity in ML may hence be irreducible.
| Subjects: | Machine Learning (cs.LG); Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems (nlin.AO) |
| Cite as: | arXiv:2606.24953 [cs.LG] |
| (or arXiv:2606.24953v1 [cs.LG] for this version) | |
| https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2606.24953
arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite
|
Access Paper:
- View PDF
- HTML (experimental)
- TeX Source
Current browse context:
References & Citations
Bookmark
Bibliographic and Citation Tools
Code, Data and Media Associated with this Article
Demos
Recommenders and Search Tools
arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators
arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.
More from arXiv — Machine Learning
-
Representation as a Bottleneck for Mechanistic Interpretability: The Manifestation Unit Protocol
Jul 2
-
SNAP-FM: Sparse Nonlinear Accelerated Projection for Physics-Constrained Generative Modeling
Jul 2
-
SemiScope: Disentangling Classifier Tuning and Joint Optimization in Semi-Supervised Security Classification
Jul 2
-
A Filtered Mixture-of-Generators for Fully Synthetic Survival Training
Jul 2
Discussion (0)
Sign in to join the discussion. Free account, 30 seconds — email code or GitHub.
Sign in →No comments yet. Sign in and be the first to say something.