Automated guidance for machine unlearning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025190815-A1
Application number	US-202318531514-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2023
Priority date	Dec 6, 2023
Publication date	Jun 12, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Generating performance metrics and recommendations to improve an unlearned model includes executing an unlearning algorithm to expunge the influence on a machine learning model of a selected sample of the machine learning model's training dataset. Executing the unlearning algorithm creates an unlearned model. Performance metrics are generated by a metrics generator for the unlearned model and the machine learning model. Based on the performance metrics, an unlearning analysis is generated by a comparator comparing the performances of the unlearned model and machine learning model. A recommender, based on the unlearning analysis, generates a recommendation recommending a revision to the unlearned model in response to detecting a deviation of more than a predetermined threshold of one or more of the performance metrics of the unlearned model from one or more of the performance metrics of the machine learning model. An evaluator generates an unlearning evaluation of the unlearned model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
executing, by a computer processor, an unlearning algorithm to expunge influence on a machine learning model of a selected sample of a training dataset used to train the machine learning model, wherein the executing creates an unlearned model; generating, by a metrics generator implemented by the computer processor, performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model and the machine learning model; generating, by a comparator implemented by the computer processor, based on the performance metrics, an unlearning analysis comparing performance of the unlearned model relative to performance of the machine learning model; generating, by a recommender, a recommendation based on the unlearning analysis recommending a revision to the unlearned model in response to detecting a deviation of more than a predetermined threshold of one or more of the performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model from one or more of the performance metrics of the machine learning model; and generating, by an evaluator implemented by the computer processor, an unlearning evaluation of the unlearned model.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
iteratively executing the unlearned model on a modified dataset generated by removing the selected sample from the training dataset; with each iterative execution, generating a new recommendation based on newly generated performance metrics; and following each iterative execution, based on the new recommendation, revising the unlearned model until each of the performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model satisfies a predetermined threshold criterion.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating additional performance metrics corresponding to one or more additional unlearned models created by executing one or more other unlearning algorithms designed to expunge influence on the machine learning model of the selected sample of the training dataset; generating unlearning analyses for each of the one or more additional unlearned models based on comparisons of the additional performance metrics corresponding to each of the one or more additional unlearned models and the performance metrics corresponding to the machine learning model; and generating a comparative unlearning evaluation comparing a relative performance of each additional unlearned model based on the additional performance metrics corresponding to each of the one or more additional unlearned models.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the performance metrics include an unlearning metric measuring mitigation of influence of the selected sample on the unlearned model, and wherein generating the unlearning metric includes:
performing a gradient search within a neighborhood of the training dataset around the selected sample to determine one or more perturbations to optimize a loss function of the unlearned model for testing model accuracy with respect to unlearned data; generating a test sample by applying a norm-bound perturbation to each non-private feature of the selected sample, leaving each private feature of the selected sample unperturbed; and executing the unlearned model on the test sample to determine a predictive accuracy of the unlearned model.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the performance metrics provide a predetermined measure of at least one of prediction accuracy, privacy risk, or fairness associated with the unlearned model and the machine learning model.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a JS-divergence between predictions generated by the unlearned model and the machine learning model, wherein the JS-divergence provides a performance metric measuring mitigation of influence of the selected sample on the unlearned model.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a zero retrain forgetting (ZRF) score for the unlearned model, wherein the ZRF score provides a performance metric measuring mitigation of influence of the selected sample on the unlearned model.

8 . A system, comprising:
one or more processors configured to execute operations including:
executing an unlearning algorithm to expunge influence on a machine learning model of a selected sample of a training dataset used to train the machine learning model, wherein the executing creates an unlearned model;
generating, by a metrics generator, performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model and the machine learning model;
generating, by a comparator, based on the performance metrics, an unlearning analysis comparing performance of the unlearned model relative to performance of the machine learning model;
generating, by a recommender, a recommendation based on the unlearning analysis recommending a revision to the unlearned model in response to detecting a deviation of more than a predetermined threshold of one or more of the performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model from one or more of the performance metrics of the machine learning model; and
generating, by an evaluator, an unlearning evaluation of the unlearned model.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute operations further including:
iteratively executing the unlearned model on a modified dataset generated by removing the selected sample from the training dataset; with each iterative execution, generating a new recommendation based on newly generated performance metrics; and following each iterative execution, based on the new recommendation, revising the unlearned model until each of the performance metrics corresponding to the unlearned model satisfies a predetermined threshold criterion.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute operations further including:
generating additional performance metrics corresponding to one or more additional unlearned models created by executing one or more other unlearning algorithms designed to expunge influence on the machine learning model of the selected sample of the training dataset; generating unlearning analyses for each of the one or more additional unlearned models based on comparisons of the additional performance metrics corresponding to each of the one or more additional unlearned models and the performance metrics corresponding to the machine learning model; and generating a comparative unlearning evaluation comparing a relative performance of each additional unlearned model based on the additional performance metrics corresponding to each of the one or more additional unlearned models.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the performance metrics include an unlearning metric measuring mitigation of the influence of the selected sample on the unlearned model, and wherein generating the unlearning metric includes:
performing a gradient search within a neighborhood of the training dataset around the selected sample to determine one or more perturbations to optimize a loss function of the unlearned model for testing model accuracy with respect to unlearned data; generating a test sample by applying a norm-bound perturbation to each non-private feature of the selected sample with a norm-bound perturbation, leaving unperturbed each private feature of the selected sample unperturbed; and executing the unlearned model on the test sample to determine a predictive accuracy of the unlearned model.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the performance metrics provide a predetermined measu

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Halimi Anisa
• Hameed Muhammad Zaid
• RAWAT Ambrish
• Levacher Killian

Classifications

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G06N3/0475

  Generative networks · CPC title

• G06N3/0985 Primary

  Hyperparameter optimisation; Meta-learning; Learning-to-learn · CPC title