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Mitigating Bias with Diverse Ensembles and Diffusion Models: A Comprehensive Study


Core Concepts
The authors propose an ensemble diversification framework using Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DPMs) to mitigate shortcut bias, showcasing the generation of synthetic counterfactuals for ensemble disagreement. This approach effectively removes dependence on primary shortcut cues without the need for additional supervised signals.
Abstract

The study addresses the issue of shortcut learning in deep neural networks by leveraging DPMs for ensemble diversification. By generating synthetic counterfactuals, models can break away from relying on easy-to-learn cues that may lead to biases. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach in mitigating biases and improving generalization performance.

Key Points:

  • Spurious correlations in data can lead to shortcut bias where models rely on erroneous cues.
  • Ensemble diversification using DPM-generated counterfactuals helps mitigate shortcut biases.
  • The study shows that early stopping of DPM training can enhance diversity and bias mitigation.
  • Different diversification objectives impact ensemble performance and cue preferences.
  • Real ood data and diffusion-generated samples achieve comparable ensemble diversity levels.
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Stats
We leverage Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DPMs) for shortcut bias mitigation. DPMs can generate novel feature combinations even with correlated input features. Ensemble disagreement is sufficient for shortcut cue mitigation.
Quotes
"We show that DPM-guided diversification is sufficient to remove dependence on primary shortcut cues." "DPMs can generate feature compositions beyond data exhibiting correlated input features."

Key Insights Distilled From

by Luca Scimeca... at arxiv.org 03-06-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.16176.pdf
Mitigating Biases with Diverse Ensembles and Diffusion Models

Deeper Inquiries

How does the fidelity level of DPM training impact ensemble diversification?

The fidelity level of Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DPM) training significantly impacts ensemble diversification. In the context of the study, higher fidelity levels in DPM training lead to more accurate representations of the data distribution. This, in turn, affects the quality and diversity of synthetic counterfactual samples generated by the DPM for ensemble disagreement. At lower fidelity levels, where DPMs have not fully captured the manifold of the data distribution, they may struggle to generate diverse and novel feature combinations beyond what was observed during training. On the other hand, excessively high fidelity levels can result in overfitting to specific features or patterns present in the training data, limiting their ability to produce counterfactual samples that break shortcut signals. Therefore, finding an optimal balance in DPM training is crucial for achieving effective ensemble diversification. Early stopping procedures play a key role here as they help identify intervals during training where DPMs exhibit capabilities for generating diverse counterfactuals while avoiding overfitting.

How might early stopping procedures enhance generative capabilities in DPMs?

Early stopping procedures can enhance generative capabilities in Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DPMs) by allowing them to capture essential aspects of data distributions without succumbing to overfitting tendencies. By monitoring key metrics such as ood sample generation frequency and sample quality at different epochs during training, early stopping enables researchers to identify critical intervals when a trained model exhibits emergent properties like generating novel feature combinations. In this study's context, early stopping helps pinpoint stages within DPM training where models strike a balance between fitting closely with existing data distributions and showcasing creativity through ood sample generation. These identified intervals—referred to as burn-in (high ood sample frequency but poor quality), originative (generating novel feature combinations while learning manifold), and exact (near-perfect samples but limited novelty)—highlight how early stopping aids in leveraging generative capacities effectively. By halting model progression at these strategic points based on performance metrics related to diversity and novelty generation capability rather than solely focusing on accuracy improvements or loss minimization criteria typically used for traditional supervised tasks—researchers can harness enhanced generative abilities from diffusion models for various applications requiring robustness against shortcut biases or improved generalization performance.
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