Book Image

Interpretable Machine Learning with Python - Second Edition

By : Serg Masís
4 (4)
Book Image

Interpretable Machine Learning with Python - Second Edition

4 (4)
By: Serg Masís

Overview of this book

Interpretable Machine Learning with Python, Second Edition, brings to light the key concepts of interpreting machine learning models by analyzing real-world data, providing you with a wide range of skills and tools to decipher the results of even the most complex models. Build your interpretability toolkit with several use cases, from flight delay prediction to waste classification to COMPAS risk assessment scores. This book is full of useful techniques, introducing them to the right use case. Learn traditional methods, such as feature importance and partial dependence plots to integrated gradients for NLP interpretations and gradient-based attribution methods, such as saliency maps. In addition to the step-by-step code, you’ll get hands-on with tuning models and training data for interpretability by reducing complexity, mitigating bias, placing guardrails, and enhancing reliability. By the end of the book, you’ll be confident in tackling interpretability challenges with black-box models using tabular, language, image, and time series data.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
15
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Index

Assessing feature importance with model-agnostic methods

Model-agnostic methods imply that we will not depend on intrinsic model parameters to compute feature importance. Instead, we will consider the model as a black box, with only the inputs and output visible. So, how can we determine which inputs made a difference?

What if we altered the inputs randomly? Indeed, one of the most effective methods for evaluating feature importance is through simulations designed to measure a feature’s impact or lack thereof. In other words, let’s remove a random player from the game and observe the outcome! In this section, we will discuss two ways to achieve this: permutation feature importance and SHAP.

Permutation feature importance

Once we have a trained model, we cannot remove a feature to assess the impact of not using it. However, we can:

  • Replace the feature with a static value, such as the mean or median, rendering it devoid of useful information.
  • ...