Investigating the Duality of Interpretability and Explainability in Machine Learning

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Garouani, Moncef, Mothe, Josiane, Barhrhouj, Ayah, Aligon, Julien
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Garouani, Moncef
Mothe, Josiane
Barhrhouj, Ayah
Aligon, Julien
author_facet Garouani, Moncef
Mothe, Josiane
Barhrhouj, Ayah
Aligon, Julien
contents The rapid evolution of machine learning (ML) has led to the widespread adoption of complex "black box" models, such as deep neural networks and ensemble methods. These models exhibit exceptional predictive performance, making them invaluable for critical decision-making across diverse domains within society. However, their inherently opaque nature raises concerns about transparency and interpretability, making them untrustworthy decision support systems. To alleviate such a barrier to high-stakes adoption, research community focus has been on developing methods to explain black box models as a means to address the challenges they pose. Efforts are focused on explaining these models instead of developing ones that are inherently interpretable. Designing inherently interpretable models from the outset, however, can pave the path towards responsible and beneficial applications in the field of ML. In this position paper, we clarify the chasm between explaining black boxes and adopting inherently interpretable models. We emphasize the imperative need for model interpretability and, following the purpose of attaining better (i.e., more effective or efficient w.r.t. predictive performance) and trustworthy predictors, provide an experimental evaluation of latest hybrid learning methods that integrates symbolic knowledge into neural network predictors. We demonstrate how interpretable hybrid models could potentially supplant black box ones in different domains.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_21356
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Investigating the Duality of Interpretability and Explainability in Machine Learning
Garouani, Moncef
Mothe, Josiane
Barhrhouj, Ayah
Aligon, Julien
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
The rapid evolution of machine learning (ML) has led to the widespread adoption of complex "black box" models, such as deep neural networks and ensemble methods. These models exhibit exceptional predictive performance, making them invaluable for critical decision-making across diverse domains within society. However, their inherently opaque nature raises concerns about transparency and interpretability, making them untrustworthy decision support systems. To alleviate such a barrier to high-stakes adoption, research community focus has been on developing methods to explain black box models as a means to address the challenges they pose. Efforts are focused on explaining these models instead of developing ones that are inherently interpretable. Designing inherently interpretable models from the outset, however, can pave the path towards responsible and beneficial applications in the field of ML. In this position paper, we clarify the chasm between explaining black boxes and adopting inherently interpretable models. We emphasize the imperative need for model interpretability and, following the purpose of attaining better (i.e., more effective or efficient w.r.t. predictive performance) and trustworthy predictors, provide an experimental evaluation of latest hybrid learning methods that integrates symbolic knowledge into neural network predictors. We demonstrate how interpretable hybrid models could potentially supplant black box ones in different domains.
title Investigating the Duality of Interpretability and Explainability in Machine Learning
topic Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.21356