WALTS: Walmart AutoML Libraries, Tools and Services

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) is an upcoming field in machine learning (ML) that searches the candidate model space for a given task, dataset and an evaluation metric and returns the best performing model on the supplied dataset as per the given metric. AutoML not only reduces the manpower and expertise needed to develop ML models but also decreases the time-to-market for ML models substantially. We have designed an enterprise-scale AutoML framework called WALTS to meet the rising demand of employing ML in retail or any other business of interest, and thus help democratize ML within our organization. In this blog, we elaborate on how we explore models from a pool of candidates and underline how it has helped us with a business use-case. To give an overview of the AutoML process, its current landscape, and showcase the benefits of WALTS, we will be covering: · What is AutoML?