AAAI 2024technical5 citations

NeSyFOLD: A Framework for Interpretable Image Classification

Parth Padalkar, Huaduo Wang, Gopal Gupta

Abstract

Deep learning models such as CNNs have surpassed human performance in computer vision tasks such as image classi- fication. However, despite their sophistication, these models lack interpretability which can lead to biased outcomes re- flecting existing prejudices in the data. We aim to make pre- dictions made by a CNN interpretable. Hence, we present a novel framework called NeSyFOLD to create a neurosym- bolic (NeSy) model for image classification tasks. The model is a CNN with all layers following the last convolutional layer replaced by a stratified answer set program (ASP) derived from the last layer kernels. The answer set program can be viewed as a rule-set, wherein the truth value of each pred- icate depends on the activation of the corresponding kernel in the CNN. The rule-set serves as a global explanation for the model and is interpretable. We also use our NeSyFOLD framework with a CNN that is trained using a sparse kernel learning technique called Elite BackProp (EBP). This leads to a significant reduction in rule-set size without compromising accuracy or fidelity thus improving scalability of the NeSy model and interpretability of its rule-set. Evaluation is done on datasets with varied complexity and sizes. We also pro- pose a novel algorithm for labelling the predicates in the rule- set with meaningful semantic concept(s) learnt by the CNN. We evaluate the performance of our “semantic labelling algo- rithm” to quantify the efficacy of the semantic labelling for both the NeSy model and the NeSy-EBP model.

BibTeX
@article{Padalkar_Wang_Gupta_2024, title={NeSyFOLD: A Framework for Interpretable Image Classification}, volume={38}, url={https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/view/28235}, DOI={10.1609/aaai.v38i5.28235}, abstractNote={Deep learning models such as CNNs have surpassed human
performance in computer vision tasks such as image classi-
fication. However, despite their sophistication, these models
lack interpretability which can lead to biased outcomes re-
flecting existing prejudices in the data. We aim to make pre-
dictions made by a CNN interpretable. Hence, we present a
novel framework called NeSyFOLD to create a neurosym-
bolic (NeSy) model for image classification tasks. The model
is a CNN with all layers following the last convolutional layer
replaced by a stratified answer set program (ASP) derived
from the last layer kernels. The answer set program can be
viewed as a rule-set, wherein the truth value of each pred-
icate depends on the activation of the corresponding kernel
in the CNN. The rule-set serves as a global explanation for
the model and is interpretable. We also use our NeSyFOLD
framework with a CNN that is trained using a sparse kernel
learning technique called Elite BackProp (EBP). This leads to
a significant reduction in rule-set size without compromising
accuracy or fidelity thus improving scalability of the NeSy
model and interpretability of its rule-set. Evaluation is done
on datasets with varied complexity and sizes. We also pro-
pose a novel algorithm for labelling the predicates in the rule-
set with meaningful semantic concept(s) learnt by the CNN.
We evaluate the performance of our “semantic labelling algo-
rithm” to quantify the efficacy of the semantic labelling for
both the NeSy model and the NeSy-EBP model.}, number={5}, journal={Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence}, author={Padalkar, Parth and Wang, Huaduo and Gupta, Gopal}, year={2024}, month={Mar.}, pages={4378-4387} }