In my previous post [KNN is Dead!], I have compared an ANN algorithm called HNSW with sklearn's KNN and proved that HNSW has vastly superior performance with a 380X speed up while delivering 99.3% of the same results. As a data scientist, I am a huge proponent of making data-driven decisions, as I mentioned in How to Choose the Best Keras Pre-Trained Model. So, in this post, I'll demonstrate a data-driven way to decide which ANN algorithm is the best choice for your custom dataset by using the excellent ann-benchmarks GitHub repository. The ann-benchmarks code compares multiple ANN algorithms by plotting each algorithm's Recall vs Queries per second.

Intent detection is one of the core components of goal-oriented dialog systems, and detecting out-of-scope (OOS) intents is also a practically important skill. Few-shot learning is attracting much attention to mitigate data scarcity, but OOS detection becomes even more challenging. In this paper, we present a simple yet effective approach, discriminative nearest neighbor classification with deep self-attention. Unlike softmax classifiers, we leverage BERT-style pairwise encoding to train a binary classifier that estimates the best matched training example for a user input. We propose to boost the discriminative ability by transferring a natural language inference (NLI) model. Our extensive experiments on a large-scale multi-domain intent detection task show that our method achieves more stable and accurate in-domain and OOS detection accuracy than RoBERTa-based classifiers and embedding-based nearest neighbor approaches. More notably, the NLI transfer enables our 10-shot model to perform competitively with 50-shot or even full-shot classifiers, while we can keep the inference time constant by leveraging a faster embedding retrieval model.

CARMA is an advisory system for rangeland grasshopper infestations that demonstrates how AI technology can deliver expert advice to compensate for cutbacks in public services. CARMA uses two knowledge sources for the key task of predicting forage consumption by grasshoppers: (1) cases obtained by asking a group of experts to solve representative hypothetical problems and (2) a numeric model of rangeland ecosystems. These knowledge sources are integrated through the technique of model-based adaptation, in which case-based reasoning is used to find an approximate solution, and the model is used to adapt this approximate solution into a more precise solution. CARMA has been used in Wyoming counties since 1996. The combination of a simple interface, flexible control strategy, and integration of multiple knowledge sources makes CARMA accessible to inexperienced users and capable of producing advice comparable to that produced by human experts.

In this article, we first survey the three major types of computer music systems based on AI techniques: (1) compositional, (2) improvisational, and (3) performance systems. Representative examples of each type are briefly described. Then, we look in more detail at the problem of endowing the resulting performances with the expressiveness that characterizes human-generated music. This is one of the most challenging aspects of computer music that has been addressed just recently. The main problem in modeling expressiveness is to grasp the performer's "touch," that is, the knowledge applied when performing a score.

Following a brief overview discussing why we prefer listening to expressive music instead of lifeless synthesized music, we examine a representative selection of well-known approaches to expressive computer music performance with an emphasis on AI-related approaches. In the main part of the paper we focus on the existing CBR approaches to the problem of synthesizing expressive music, and particularly on TempoExpress, a case-based reasoning system developed at our Institute, for applying musically acceptable tempo transformations to monophonic audio recordings of musical performances. Finally we briefly describe an ongoing extension of our previous work consisting on complementing audio information with information of the gestures of the musician. Music is played through our bodies, therefore capturing the gesture of the performer is a fundamental aspect that has to be taken into account in future expressive music renderings. This paper is based on the "2011 Robert S. Engelmore Memorial Lecture" given by the first author at AAAI/IAAI 2011.

An efficient traffic signal control system (TSCS) should not only be reactive to the current traffic but also be predictive by anticipating future traffic disturbances. In this study, we investigate the potential of using convolution neural network (CNN) in detecting emergency cases and forecasting events that can interrupt the traffic flow. Case-based reasoning (CBR) is then exploited to react to detected and forecasted events. We further develop an adapted Reinforcement Leaning (RL) algorithm in building and enhancing the case bases. The proposed system inherits the advantages of CNN, CBR, and RL, which allow detection, prediction, control, evaluation, and learning in a unified framework.

Metric learning is one of the techniques in manifold learning with the goal of finding a projection subspace for increasing and decreasing the inter- and intra-class variances, respectively. Some of the metric learning methods are based on triplet learning with anchor-positive-negative triplets. Large margin metric learning for nearest neighbor classification is one of the fundamental methods to do this. Recently, Siamese networks have been introduced with the triplet loss. Many triplet mining methods have been developed for Siamese networks; however, these techniques have not been applied on the triplets of large margin metric learning for nearest neighbor classification. In this work, inspired by the mining methods for Siamese networks, we propose several triplet mining techniques for large margin metric learning. Moreover, a hierarchical approach is proposed, for acceleration and scalability of optimization, where triplets are selected by stratified sampling in hierarchical hyper-spheres. We analyze the proposed methods on three publicly available datasets, i.e., Fisher Iris, ORL faces, and MNIST datasets.

The property of almost every point being a Lebesgue point has proven to be crucial for the consistency of several classification algorithms based on nearest neighbors. We characterize Lebesgue points in terms of a 1-Nearest Neighbor regression algorithm for pointwise estimation, fleshing out the role played by tie-breaking rules in the corresponding convergence problem. We then give an application of our results, proving the convergence of the risk of a large class of 1-Nearest Neighbor classification algorithms in general metric spaces where almost every point is a Lebesgue point.

MLassisted applications are a trend, and many researchers and developers are rushing to apply ML and recover their inherent potential benefits [2] [3]. However, using ML techniques to solve any problem do require some previous background and expertise. For example, it is vital to choose the ML technique that better suits the target application in terms of available computational capability and expected target results. In sequence to an adequate ML technique choice, it is typically necessary to model the problem under the premises of the chosen technique. The modeling process may include, as an example, an MDP-based markovian process (Markov Decision Process) like Q-Learning or SARSA formulation for Reinforcement Learning or the definition of a neural network structure for Neural Networks (NN) [4] [5].

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. A Minnesota beer brand is planning to reward one person's extremely questionable behavior with a ridiculous amount of free beer. Hamm's, which bills itself as "the beer … refreshing," has announced a contest to find the library-goer who hid several cans of Hamm's beer behind some paneling at a Washington state library some time in the 1980s. BUDWEISER WANTS TO BECOME UTAH'S STATE BEER News of the hidden stash recently made headlines after facilities workers at the Walla Walla Public Library discovered the beer -- which is estimated to be over 30 years old -- during a reorganizing of the facility.