Generalization is a key property of machine learning models to perform accurately on unseen data. Conversely, in the field of scientific machine learning (SciML), generalization entails not only predictive accuracy but also the capacity of the model to encapsulate underlying physical principles. In this paper, we delve into the concept of generalization for Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) by investigating the consistency of the predictions of a PINN outside of its training domain. Through the lenses of a novel metric and statistical analysis, we study the scenarios in which a PINN can provide consistent predictions outside the region considered for training and hereinafter assess whether the algorithmic setup of the model can influence its potential for generalizing. Our results highlight why overparametrization is not a crucial component in SciML while encouraging overfitting on the training data. Despite being counterintuitive, the outcome of our analysis serves as a guideline for training PINNs for engineering applications.
21 October 2020 in Neural Computing and Applications
Reliable deployment of machine learning models such as neural networks continues to be challenging due to several limitations. Some of the main shortcomings are the lack of interpretability and the lack of robustness against adversarial examples or out‐of‐distribution inputs. In this paper, we comprehensively review the possibilities and limits of adversarial attacks for explainable machine learning models. First, we extend the notion of adversarial examples to fit in explainable machine learning scenarios where a human assesses not only the input and the output classification, but also the explanation of the model's decision. Next, we propose a comprehensive framework to study whether (and how) adversarial examples can be generated for explainable models under human assessment. Based on this framework, we provide a structured review of the diverse attack paradigms existing in this domain, identify current gaps and future research directions, and illustrate the main attack paradigms discussed. Furthermore, our framework considers a wide range of relevant yet often ignored factors such as the type of problem, the user expertise or the objective of the explanations, in order to identify the attack strategies that should be adopted in each scenario to successfully deceive the model (and the human). The intention of these contributions is to serve as a basis for a more rigorous and realistic study of adversarial examples in the field of explainable machine learning.
7 December 2024 in Expert Systems with Applications
This paper presents a dialogue act taxonomy designed for the development of a conversational agent for elderly. The main goal of this conversational agent is to improve life quality of the user by means of coaching sessions in different topics. In contrast to other approaches such as task-oriented dialogue systems and chit-chat implementations, the agent should display a pro-active attitude, driving the conversation to reach a number of diverse coaching goals. Therefore, the main characteristic of the introduced dialogue act taxonomy is its capacity for supporting a communication based on the GROW model for coaching. In addition, the taxonomy has a hierarchical structure between the tags and it is multimodal. We use the taxonomy to annotate a Spanish dialogue corpus collected from a group of elder people. We also present a preliminary examination of the annotated corpus and discuss on the multiple possibilities it presents for further research.