The hidden assumptions behind counterfactual explanations and principal reasons
Solon Barocas, Andrew D. Selbst, Manish Raghavan
Abstract
Counterfactual explanations are gaining prominence within technical, legal, and business circles as a way to explain the decisions of a machine learning model. These explanations share a trait with the long-established "principal reason" explanations required by U.S. credit laws: they both explain a decision by highlighting a set of features deemed most relevant---and withholding others.
Topics & Concepts
Counterfactual thinkingPrincipal (computer security)Set (abstract data type)TraitComputer scienceEconomicsPositive economicsPsychologySocial psychologyComputer securityProgramming languageExplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)Machine Learning in HealthcareImbalanced Data Classification Techniques