arXiv:2608. 11181v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: When a probabilistic predictor answers many conditional-probability queries, are its answers self-consistent, and can this be verified in polynomial time?
By Orr Paradise, Oliver Richardson, Yoshua Bengio, Shafi Goldwasser
The paper presents an interactive probabilistically checkable proof (PCP) protocol that allows a polynomial‑time verifier to check the approximate consistency of a probabilistic predictor defined by two circuits, P and Q. By evaluating these circuits at a few points and querying a proof oracle that encodes a witnessing probability distribution, the verifier can confirm that the predictor’s many conditional‑probability claims are self‑consistent. The authors also establish that the problem of verifying l₂‑approximate consistency for explicit probabilistic claims lies in NP, with certificates of size O(mn + log B), and show how to eliminate dependence on the input bit‑precision B through a small additive gap.
By Orr Paradise, Oliver Richardson, Yoshua Bengio, Shafi Goldwasser
arXiv:2607. 03561v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: As AI models continue to develop powerful capabilities, it becomes critical that we are able to verify that their output is aligned with our intentions.
By Liyan Chen, Yael Tauman Kalai, Zoe Xi
The paper extends the study of relatively smart learning, showing that ERM and any proper consistent learner are relatively smart for binary classification in the distribution‑free setting, achieving a quadratic sample‑complexity blowup. It further demonstrates that semi‑supervised relatively smart learning is possible with only a quadratic blowup in unlabeled data and no blowup in labeled data, though this requires a leave‑most‑out transductive approach and incurs intractability when only an agnostic ERM oracle is available. The results clarify the trade‑offs between sample efficiency, label efficiency, and computational tractability in relatively smart learning.
By Shaddin Dughmi, Alireza F. Pour
The paper presents a polynomial‑time algorithm for robustly learning Boolean concept classes with respect to a fixed distribution, achieving the optimal error rate of η + ε where η is the noise rate. It builds on Blanc’s earlier, computationally inefficient algorithm and introduces no‑regret learners to overcome the previous limitations. Additionally, the authors provide an efficient method that does not require an ERM oracle for any function class admitting sandwiching polynomials under hypercontractive distributions, including a first polynomial‑time solution for learning halfspaces with Gaussian marginals at error η + ε.
By Adam R. Klivans, Konstantinos Stavropoulos, Sergei Tikhonov, Arsen Vasilyan
arXiv:2607. 07085v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: The Adaptive Data Analysis (ADA) problem formalizes the challenge of preventing false discovery and overfitting when a dataset is repeatedly reused.
By Edith Cohen, Haim Kaplan, Yishay Mansour, Shay Sapir, Uri Stemmer
arXiv:2607. 24732v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Motivated by learning from heterogeneous and overlapping data providers, we study a stylized model of distribution learning from restricted conditional samples.
By Jon Kleinberg, Amin Saberi, Xizhi Tan, Grigoris Velegkas
arXiv:2607. 06612v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Federated Learning (FL) enables multiple clients to collaboratively train machine learning models while retaining data locality, thereby enhancing user privacy.
By Harsh Kasyap, Anil Kumar Pradhan, Ugur Ilker Atmaca, Graham Cormode, Carsten Maple
arXiv:2607. 21839v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Privacy-preserving machine learning auditing protocols allow auditors to assess models for properties such as accuracy or fairness, without revealing their internals or training data.
By Carter Luck, Olive Franzese-McLaughlin, Elisaweta Masserova, Akira Takahashi, Antigoni Polychroniadou, Nicolas Papernot
arXiv:2607. 14545v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Machine-learned predictions can speed up offline NP-hard optimization, but asking a predictor what to do amounts to asking it to solve the problem, and committing an unchecked prediction forfeits every worst-case guarantee.
By Haifeng Li, Mo Hai
arXiv:2607. 15645v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Motivated by the challenge of testing distributions over high-dimensional or continuous domains, we study distribution testing with respect to bounded classes of distinguishers.
By Mark Bun, Rathin Desai, Renato Ferreira Pinto Jr
Modern machine learning (ML) increasingly relies on complex models whose behavior is difficult to characterize beyond empirical performance metrics. Across a wide range of tasks, including prediction, generation, and decision-making, models with similar empirical performance can exhibit markedly different properties in terms of their transparency, interpretability, robustness, fairness, privacy, and certifiability.