Publications

On shallow planning under partial observability
Randy Lefebvre
Audrey Durand
2024-05-30
rl-conference.cc/RLC/2024/Workshop/Deployable_RL (publié)
openreview.net
openreview.net
On the Costs and Benefits of Adopting Lifelong Learning for Software Analytics -- Empirical Study on Brown Build and Risk Prediction
Doriane Olewicki
Sarra Habchi
Mathieu Nayrolles
Mojtaba Faramarzi
A. Chandar
Bram Adams
Nowadays, software analytics tools using machine learning (ML) models to, for example, predict the risk of a code change are well establishe… (voir plus)d. However, as the goals of a project shift over time, and developers and their habits change, the performance of said models tends to degrade (drift) over time. Current retraining practices typically require retraining a new model from scratch on a large updated dataset when performance decay is observed, thus incurring a computational cost; also there is no continuity between the models as the past model is discarded and ignored during the new model training. Even though the literature has taken interest in online learning approaches, those have rarely been integrated and evaluated in industrial environments. This paper evaluates the use of lifelong learning (LL) for industrial use cases at Ubisoft, evaluating both the performance and the required computational effort in comparison to the retraining-from-scratch approaches commonly used by the industry. LL is used to continuously build and maintain ML-based software analytics tools using an incremental learner that progressively updates the old model using new data. To avoid so-called"catastrophic forgetting"of important older data points, we adopt a replay buffer of older data, which still allows us to drastically reduce the size of the overall training dataset, and hence model training time.
2024-05-30
Proceedings of the 46th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Practice (publié)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Deep Grokking: Would Deep Neural Networks Generalize Better?
Simin Fan
Razvan Pascanu
Martin Jaggi
Recent research on the grokking phenomenon has illuminated the intricacies of neural networks' training dynamics and their generalization be… (voir plus)haviors. Grokking refers to a sharp rise of the network's generalization accuracy on the test set, which occurs long after an extended overfitting phase, during which the network perfectly fits the training set. While the existing research primarily focus on shallow networks such as 2-layer MLP and 1-layer Transformer, we explore grokking on deep networks (e.g. 12-layer MLP). We empirically replicate the phenomenon and find that deep neural networks can be more susceptible to grokking than its shallower counterparts. Meanwhile, we observe an intriguing multi-stage generalization phenomenon when increase the depth of the MLP model where the test accuracy exhibits a secondary surge, which is scarcely seen on shallow models. We further uncover compelling correspondences between the decreasing of feature ranks and the phase transition from overfitting to the generalization stage during grokking. Additionally, we find that the multi-stage generalization phenomenon often aligns with a double-descent pattern in feature ranks. These observations suggest that internal feature rank could serve as a more promising indicator of the model's generalization behavior compared to the weight-norm. We believe our work is the first one to dive into grokking in deep neural networks, and investigate the relationship of feature rank and generalization performance.
2024-05-28
ArXiv (prépublication)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Forward-Backward Knowledge Distillation for Continual Clustering
Mohammadreza Sadeghi
Zihan Wang
Narges Armanfard
Unsupervised Continual Learning (UCL) is a burgeoning field in machine learning, focusing on enabling neural networks to sequentially learn … (voir plus)tasks without explicit label information. Catastrophic Forgetting (CF), where models forget previously learned tasks upon learning new ones, poses a significant challenge in continual learning, especially in UCL, where labeled information of data is not accessible. CF mitigation strategies, such as knowledge distillation and replay buffers, often face memory inefficiency and privacy issues. Although current research in UCL has endeavored to refine data representations and address CF in streaming data contexts, there is a noticeable lack of algorithms specifically designed for unsupervised clustering. To fill this gap, in this paper, we introduce the concept of Unsupervised Continual Clustering (UCC). We propose Forward-Backward Knowledge Distillation for unsupervised Continual Clustering (FBCC) to counteract CF within the context of UCC. FBCC employs a single continual learner (the ``teacher'') with a cluster projector, along with multiple student models, to address the CF issue. The proposed method consists of two phases: Forward Knowledge Distillation, where the teacher learns new clusters while retaining knowledge from previous tasks with guidance from specialized student models, and Backward Knowledge Distillation, where a student model mimics the teacher's behavior to retain task-specific knowledge, aiding the teacher in subsequent tasks. FBCC marks a pioneering approach to UCC, demonstrating enhanced performance and memory efficiency in clustering across various tasks, outperforming the application of clustering algorithms to the latent space of state-of-the-art UCL algorithms.
2024-05-28
ArXiv (prépublication)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal tree seedling growth is inhibited by competition from neighboring roots and associated fungal hyphae
Vlad Parasquive
Jacques Brisson
Étienne Laliberté
Pierre Luc Chagnon
2024-05-27
Plant and Soil (publié)
doi.org
ERS0: Enhancing Military Cybersecurity with AI-Driven SBOM for Firmware Vulnerability Detection and Asset Management
Max Beninger
Philippe Charland
Steven H. H. Ding
Benjamin C. M. Fung
Firmware vulnerability detection and asset management through a software bill of material (SBOM) approach is integral to defensive military … (voir plus)operations. SBOMs provide a comprehensive list of software components, enabling military organizations to identify vulnerabilities within critical systems, including those controlling various functions in military platforms, as well as in operational technologies and Internet of Things devices. This proactive approach is essential for supply chain security, ensuring that software components are sourced from trusted suppliers and have not been tampered with during production, distribution, or through updates. It is a key element of defense strategies, allowing for rapid assessment, response, and mitigation of vulnerabilities, ultimately safeguarding military capabilities and information from cyber threats. In this paper, we propose ERS0, an SBOM system, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), for detecting firmware vulnerabilities and managing firmware assets. We harness the power of pre-trained large-scale language models to effectively address a wide array of string patterns, extending our coverage to thousands of third-party library patterns. Furthermore, we employ AI-powered code clone search models, enabling a more granular and precise search for vulnerabilities at the binary level, reducing our dependence on string analysis only. Additionally, our AI models extract high-level behavioral functionalities in firmware, such as communication and encryption, allowing us to quantitatively define the behavioral scope of firmware. In preliminary comparative assessments against open-source alternatives, our solution has demonstrated better SBOM coverage, accuracy in vulnerability identification, and a wider array of features.
2024-05-27
2024 16th International Conference on Cyber Conflict: Over the Horizon (CyCon) (publié)
doi.org
Party Prediction for Twitter
Kellin Pelrine
Anne Imouza
Zachary Yang
Jacob-Junqi Tian
Sacha Lévy
Gabrielle Desrosiers-Brisebois
Aarash Feizi
Cécile Amadoro
Andre Blais
Jean-François Godbout
Reihaneh Rabbany
A large number of studies on social media compare the behaviour of users from different political parties. As a basic step, they employ a pr… (voir plus)edictive model for inferring their political affiliation. The accuracy of this model can change the conclusions of a downstream analysis significantly, yet the choice between different models seems to be made arbitrarily. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey and an empirical comparison of the current party prediction practices and propose several new approaches which are competitive with or outperform state-of-the-art methods, yet require less computational resources. Party prediction models rely on the content generated by the users (e.g., tweet texts), the relations they have (e.g., who they follow), or their activities and interactions (e.g., which tweets they like). We examine all of these and compare their signal strength for the party prediction task. This paper lets the practitioner select from a wide range of data types that all give strong performance. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments on different aspects of these methods, such as data collection speed and transfer capabilities, which can provide further insights for both applied and methodological research.
2024-05-27
Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (publié)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Structured Learning in Time-dependent Cox Models
Guanbo Wang
Yi Lian
Archer Y. Yang
Robert W. Platt
Rui Wang
Sylvie Perreault
Marc Dorais
Mireille E. Schnitzer
Cox models with time-dependent coefficients and covariates are widely used in survival analysis. In high-dimensional settings, sparse regula… (voir plus)rization techniques are employed for variable selection, but existing methods for time-dependent Cox models lack flexibility in enforcing specific sparsity patterns (i.e., covariate structures). We propose a flexible framework for variable selection in time-dependent Cox models, accommodating complex selection rules. Our method can adapt to arbitrary grouping structures, including interaction selection, temporal, spatial, tree, and directed acyclic graph structures. It achieves accurate estimation with low false alarm rates. We develop the sox package, implementing a network flow algorithm for efficiently solving models with complex covariate structures. sox offers a user-friendly interface for specifying grouping structures and delivers fast computation. Through examples, including a case study on identifying predictors of time to all-cause death in atrial fibrillation patients, we demonstrate the practical application of our method with specific selection rules.
2024-05-27
Statistics in Medicine (inconnu)
doi.org
arxiv.org
The Cost of Arbitrariness for Individuals: Examining the Legal and Technical Challenges of Model Multiplicity
Prakhar Ganesh
Ihsan Ibrahim Daldaban
Ignacio Cofone
Golnoosh Farnadi
Model multiplicity, the phenomenon where multiple models achieve similar performance despite different underlying learned functions, introdu… (voir plus)ces arbitrariness in model selection. While this arbitrariness may seem inconsequential in expectation, its impact on individuals can be severe. This paper explores various individual concerns stemming from multiplicity, including the effects of arbitrariness beyond final predictions, disparate arbitrariness for individuals belonging to protected groups, and the challenges associated with the arbitrariness of a single algorithmic system creating a monopoly across various contexts. It provides both an empirical examination of these concerns and a comprehensive analysis from the legal standpoint, addressing how these issues are perceived in the anti-discrimination law in Canada. We conclude the discussion with technical challenges in the current landscape of model multiplicity to meet legal requirements and the legal gap between current law and the implications of arbitrariness in model selection, highlighting relevant future research directions for both disciplines.
2024-05-27
ArXiv (prépublication)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Towards a Reliable French Speech Recognition Tool for an Automated Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities
Jihene Rezgui
Félix Jobin
Younes Kechout
Chritine Turgeon
Foutse Khomh
Dyslexia, characterized by severe challenges in reading and spelling acquisition, presents a substantial barrier to proficient literacy, res… (voir plus)ulting in significantly reduced reading speed (2 to 3 times slower) and diminished text comprehension. With a prevalence ranging from 5G to 10% in the population, early intervention by speech and language pathologists (SLPs) can mitigate dyslexia's effects, but the diagnosis bottleneck impedes timely support. To address this, we propose leveraging machine learning tools to expedite the diagnosis process, focusing on automating phonetic transcription, a critical step in dyslexia assessment. We investigated the practicality of two model configurations utilizing Google's speech-to-text API with children speech in evaluation scenarios and compared their results against transcriptions crafted by experts. The first configuration focuses on Google API's speech-to-text while the second integrates Phonemizer, a text-to-phonemes tool based on a dictionary. Results analysis indicate that our Google-Phonemizer model yields reading accuracies comparable to those computed from human-made transcriptions, offering promise for clinical application. These findings underscore the potential of AI-driven solutions to enhance dyslexia diagnosis efficiency, paving the way for improved accessibility to vital SLP services.
2024-05-27
2024 International Conference on Smart Applications, Communications and Networking (SmartNets) (publié)
doi.org
Advancing Cultural Inclusivity: Optimizing Embedding Spaces for Balanced Music Recommendations
Armin Moradi
Nicola Neophytou
Golnoosh Farnadi
2024-05-26
ArXiv (prépublication)
doi.org
arxiv.org
Comparative Study of Large Language Model Architectures on Frontier
Junqi Yin
Avishek Bose
Guojing Cong
Isaac Lyngaas
Quentin Gregory Anthony
Large language models (LLMs) have garnered significant attention in both the AI community and beyond. Among these, the Generative Pre-traine… (voir plus)d Transformer (GPT) has emerged as the dominant architecture, spawning numerous variants. However, these variants have undergone pre-training under diverse conditions, including variations in input data, data preprocessing, and training methodologies, resulting in a lack of controlled comparative studies. Here we meticulously examine two prominent open-sourced GPT architectures, GPT-NeoX and LLaMA, leveraging the computational power of Frontier, the world’s first Exascale supercomputer. Employing the same materials science text corpus and a comprehensive end-to-end pipeline, we conduct a comparative analysis of their training and downstream performance. Our efforts culminate in achieving state-of-the-art performance on a challenging materials science benchmark. Furthermore, we investigate the computation and energy efficiency, and propose a computationally efficient method for architecture design. To our knowledge, these pre-trained models represent the largest available for materials science. Our findings provide practical guidance for building LLMs on HPC platforms.
2024-05-26
2024 IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS) (publié)
doi.org
arxiv.org