pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
A Wild Sheep Chase Through an Orchard
Authors: Jordan Dempsey, Leo van Iersel, Mark Jones, Yukihiro Murakami, Norbert Zeh
Date: 2024-08-20 00:00:00

Orchards are a biologically relevant class of phylogenetic networks as they can describe treelike evolutionary histories augmented with horizontal transfer events. Moreover, the class has attractive mathematical characterizations that can be exploited algorithmically. On the other hand, undirected orchard networks have hardly been studied yet. Here, we prove that deciding whether an undirected, binary phylogenetic network is an orchard -- or equivalently, whether it has an orientation that makes it a rooted orchard -- is NP-hard. For this, we introduce a new characterization of undirected orchards which could be useful for proving positive results.
On the design of stabilizing FIR controllers
Authors: Janis Adamek, Nils Schlüter, Moritz Schulze Darup
Date: 2024-08-21 00:00:00
Tasks: Privacy Preserving

Recently, it has been observed that finite impulse response controllers are an excellent basis for encrypted control, where privacy-preserving controller evaluations via special cryptosystems are the main focus. Beneficial properties of FIR filters are also well-known from digital signal processing, which makes them preferable over infinite impulse response filters in many applications. Their appeal extends to feedback control, offering design flexibility grounded solely on output measurements. However, designing FIR controllers is challenging, which motivates this work. To address the design challenge, we initially show that FIR controller designs for linear systems can equivalently be stated as static or dynamic output feedback problems. After focusing on the existence of stabilizing FIR controllers for a given plant, we tailor two common design approaches for output feedback to the case of FIR controllers. Unfortunately, it will turn out that the FIR characteristics add further restrictions to the LMI-based approaches. Hence, we finally turn to designs building on non-convex optimization, which provide satisfactory results for a selection of benchmark systems.
Parameter-Efficient Transfer Learning under Federated Learning for Automatic Speech Recognition
Authors: Xuan Kan, Yonghui Xiao, Tien-Ju Yang, Nanxin Chen, Rajiv Mathews
Date: 2024-08-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Automatic Speech Recognition, Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Domain Adaptation, Federated Learning, speech-recognition, Speech Recognition, Transfer Learning

This work explores the challenge of enhancing Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) model performance across various user-specific domains while preserving user data privacy. We employ federated learning and parameter-efficient domain adaptation methods to solve the (1) massive data requirement of ASR models from user-specific scenarios and (2) the substantial communication cost between servers and clients during federated learning. We demonstrate that when equipped with proper adapters, ASR models under federated tuning can achieve similar performance compared with centralized tuning ones, thus providing a potential direction for future privacy-preserved ASR services. Besides, we investigate the efficiency of different adapters and adapter incorporation strategies under the federated learning setting.
DiffZOO: A Purely Query-Based Black-Box Attack for Red-teaming Text-to-Image Generative Model via Zeroth Order Optimization
Authors: Pucheng Dang, Xing Hu, Dong Li, Rui Zhang, Qi Guo, Kaidi Xu
Date: 2024-08-18 00:00:00
Tasks: Red Teaming

Current text-to-image (T2I) synthesis diffusion models raise misuse concerns, particularly in creating prohibited or not-safe-for-work (NSFW) images. To address this, various safety mechanisms and red teaming attack methods are proposed to enhance or expose the T2I model's capability to generate unsuitable content. However, many red teaming attack methods assume knowledge of the text encoders, limiting their practical usage. In this work, we rethink the case of \textit{purely black-box} attacks without prior knowledge of the T2l model. To overcome the unavailability of gradients and the inability to optimize attacks within a discrete prompt space, we propose DiffZOO which applies Zeroth Order Optimization to procure gradient approximations and harnesses both C-PRV and D-PRV to enhance attack prompts within the discrete prompt domain. We evaluated our method across multiple safety mechanisms of the T2I diffusion model and online servers. Experiments on multiple state-of-the-art safety mechanisms show that DiffZOO attains an 8.5% higher average attack success rate than previous works, hence its promise as a practical red teaming tool for T2l models.
Towards Efficient Machine Learning Method for IoT DDoS Attack Detection
Authors: P Modi
Date: 2024-08-16 00:00:00
Tasks: feature selection

With the rise in the number of IoT devices and its users, security in IoT has become a big concern to ensure the protection from harmful security attacks. In the recent years, different variants of DDoS attacks have been on the rise in IoT devices. Failure to detect DDoS attacks at the right time can result in financial and reputational loss for victim organizations. These attacks conducted with IoT devices can cause a significant downtime of applications running on the Internet. Although researchers have developed and utilized specialized models using artificial intelligence techniques, these models do not provide the best accuracy as there is always a scope of improvement until 100% accuracy is attained. We propose a hybrid feature selection algorithm that selects only the most useful features and passes those features into an XGBoost model, the results of which are explained using feature importances. Our model attains an accuracy of 99.993% on the CIC IDS 2017 dataset and a recall of 97.64 % on the CIC IoT 2023 dataset. Overall, this research would help researchers and implementers in the field of detecting IoT DDoS attacks by providing a more accurate and comparable model.
SAGE-RT: Synthetic Alignment data Generation for Safety Evaluation and Red Teaming
Authors: Anurakt Kumar, Divyanshu Kumar, Jatan Loya, Nitin Aravind Birur, Tanay Baswa, Sahil Agarwal, Prashanth Harshangi
Date: 2024-08-14 00:00:00
Tasks: Red Teaming, Safety Alignment

We introduce Synthetic Alignment data Generation for Safety Evaluation and Red Teaming (SAGE-RT or SAGE) a novel pipeline for generating synthetic alignment and red-teaming data. Existing methods fall short in creating nuanced and diverse datasets, providing necessary control over the data generation and validation processes, or require large amount of manually generated seed data. SAGE addresses these limitations by using a detailed taxonomy to produce safety-alignment and red-teaming data across a wide range of topics. We generated 51,000 diverse and in-depth prompt-response pairs, encompassing over 1,500 topics of harmfulness and covering variations of the most frequent types of jailbreaking prompts faced by large language models (LLMs). We show that the red-teaming data generated through SAGE jailbreaks state-of-the-art LLMs in more than 27 out of 32 sub-categories, and in more than 58 out of 279 leaf-categories (sub-sub categories). The attack success rate for GPT-4o, GPT-3.5-turbo is 100% over the sub-categories of harmfulness. Our approach avoids the pitfalls of synthetic safety-training data generation such as mode collapse and lack of nuance in the generation pipeline by ensuring a detailed coverage of harmful topics using iterative expansion of the topics and conditioning the outputs on the generated raw-text. This method can be used to generate red-teaming and alignment data for LLM Safety completely synthetically to make LLMs safer or for red-teaming the models over a diverse range of topics.
How Small is Big Enough? Open Labeled Datasets and the Development of Deep Learning
Authors: Daniel Souza, Aldo Geuna, Jeff Rodríguez
Date: 2024-08-19 00:00:00
Tasks: Deep Learning, Object Recognition

We investigate the emergence of Deep Learning as a technoscientific field, emphasizing the role of open labeled datasets. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses, we evaluate the role of datasets like CIFAR-10 in advancing computer vision and object recognition, which are central to the Deep Learning revolution. Our findings highlight CIFAR-10's crucial role and enduring influence on the field, as well as its importance in teaching ML techniques. Results also indicate that dataset characteristics such as size, number of instances, and number of categories, were key factors. Econometric analysis confirms that CIFAR-10, a small-but-sufficiently-large open dataset, played a significant and lasting role in technological advancements and had a major function in the development of the early scientific literature as shown by citation metrics.
OpenCity: Open Spatio-Temporal Foundation Models for Traffic Prediction
Authors: Zhonghang Li, Long Xia, Lei Shi, Yong Xu, Dawei Yin, Chao Huang
Date: 2024-08-16 00:00:00
Tasks: Prediction, Traffic Prediction, Zero-shot Generalization

Accurate traffic forecasting is crucial for effective urban planning and transportation management, enabling efficient resource allocation and enhanced travel experiences. However, existing models often face limitations in generalization, struggling with zero-shot prediction on unseen regions and cities, as well as diminished long-term accuracy. This is primarily due to the inherent challenges in handling the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of traffic data, coupled with the significant distribution shift across time and space. In this work, we aim to unlock new possibilities for building versatile, resilient and adaptive spatio-temporal foundation models for traffic prediction. To achieve this goal, we introduce a novel foundation model, named OpenCity, that can effectively capture and normalize the underlying spatio-temporal patterns from diverse data characteristics, facilitating zero-shot generalization across diverse urban environments. OpenCity integrates the Transformer architecture with graph neural networks to model the complex spatio-temporal dependencies in traffic data. By pre-training OpenCity on large-scale, heterogeneous traffic datasets, we enable the model to learn rich, generalizable representations that can be seamlessly applied to a wide range of traffic forecasting scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that OpenCity exhibits exceptional zero-shot predictive performance. Moreover, OpenCity showcases promising scaling laws, suggesting the potential for developing a truly one-for-all traffic prediction solution that can adapt to new urban contexts with minimal overhead. We made our proposed OpenCity model open-source and it is available at the following link: https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenCity.
Generative Organizational Behavior Simulation using Large Language Model based Autonomous Agents: A Holacracy Perspective
Authors: Chen Zhu, Yihang Cheng, Jingshuai Zhang, Yusheng Qiu, Sitao Xia, HengShu Zhu
Date: 2024-08-05 00:00:00
Tasks: Language Modeling, Language Modelling, Large Language Model, Management

In this paper, we present the technical details and periodic findings of our project, CareerAgent, which aims to build a generative simulation framework for a Holacracy organization using Large Language Model-based Autonomous Agents. Specifically, the simulation framework includes three phases: construction, execution, and evaluation, and it incorporates basic characteristics of individuals, organizations, tasks, and meetings. Through our simulation, we obtained several interesting findings. At the organizational level, an increase in the average values of management competence and functional competence can reduce overall members' stress levels, but it negatively impacts deeper organizational performance measures such as average task completion. At the individual level, both competences can improve members' work performance. From the analysis of social networks, we found that highly competent members selectively participate in certain tasks and take on more responsibilities. Over time, small sub-communities form around these highly competent members within the holacracy. These findings contribute theoretically to the study of organizational science and provide practical insights for managers to understand the organization dynamics.
Strategic AI adoption in SMEs: A Prescriptive Framework
Authors: Atif Hussain, Rana Rizwan
Date: 2024-08-05 00:00:00
Tasks: Navigate

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly acknowledged as a vital component for the advancement and competitiveness of modern organizations, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, the adoption of AI technologies in SMEs faces significant barriers, primarily related to cost, lack of technical skills, and employee acceptance. This study proposes a comprehensive, phased framework designed to facilitate the effective adoption of AI in SMEs by systematically addressing these barriers. The framework begins with raising awareness and securing commitment from leadership, followed by the adoption of low-cost, general-purpose AI tools to build technical competence and foster a positive attitude towards AI. As familiarity with AI technologies increases, the framework advocates for the integration of task-specific AI tools to enhance efficiency and productivity. Subsequently, it guides organizations towards the in-house development of generative AI tools, providing greater customization and control. Finally, the framework addresses the development of discriminative AI models to meet highly specific and precision-oriented tasks. By providing a structured and incremental approach, this framework ensures that SMEs can navigate the complexities of AI integration effectively, driving innovation, efficiency, and competitive advantage. This study contributes to the field by offering a practical, prescriptive framework tailored to the unique needs of SMEs, facilitating the successful adoption of AI technologies and positioning these organizations for sustained growth in a competitive landscape.
A Conceptual Framework for Ethical Evaluation of Machine Learning Systems
Authors: Neha R. Gupta, Jessica Hullman, Hari Subramonyam
Date: 2024-08-05 00:00:00
Tasks: Ethics, Fairness, Navigate

Research in Responsible AI has developed a range of principles and practices to ensure that machine learning systems are used in a manner that is ethical and aligned with human values. However, a critical yet often neglected aspect of ethical ML is the ethical implications that appear when designing evaluations of ML systems. For instance, teams may have to balance a trade-off between highly informative tests to ensure downstream product safety, with potential fairness harms inherent to the implemented testing procedures. We conceptualize ethics-related concerns in standard ML evaluation techniques. Specifically, we present a utility framework, characterizing the key trade-off in ethical evaluation as balancing information gain against potential ethical harms. The framework is then a tool for characterizing challenges teams face, and systematically disentangling competing considerations that teams seek to balance. Differentiating between different types of issues encountered in evaluation allows us to highlight best practices from analogous domains, such as clinical trials and automotive crash testing, which navigate these issues in ways that can offer inspiration to improve evaluation processes in ML. Our analysis underscores the critical need for development teams to deliberately assess and manage ethical complexities that arise during the evaluation of ML systems, and for the industry to move towards designing institutional policies to support ethical evaluations.
Responsible AI Question Bank: A Comprehensive Tool for AI Risk Assessment
Authors: Sung Une Lee, Harsha Perera, Yue Liu, Boming Xia, Qinghua Lu, Liming Zhu, Olivier Salvado, Jon Whittle
Date: 2024-08-02 00:00:00
Tasks: Decision Making, Ethics, Fairness, Navigate

The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has underscored the urgent need for responsible AI practices. Despite increasing interest, a comprehensive AI risk assessment toolkit remains lacking. This study introduces our Responsible AI (RAI) Question Bank, a comprehensive framework and tool designed to support diverse AI initiatives. By integrating AI ethics principles such as fairness, transparency, and accountability into a structured question format, the RAI Question Bank aids in identifying potential risks, aligning with emerging regulations like the EU AI Act, and enhancing overall AI governance. A key benefit of the RAI Question Bank is its systematic approach to linking lower-level risk questions to higher-level ones and related themes, preventing siloed assessments and ensuring a cohesive evaluation process. Case studies illustrate the practical application of the RAI Question Bank in assessing AI projects, from evaluating risk factors to informing decision-making processes. The study also demonstrates how the RAI Question Bank can be used to ensure compliance with standards, mitigate risks, and promote the development of trustworthy AI systems. This work advances RAI by providing organizations with a valuable tool to navigate the complexities of ethical AI development and deployment while ensuring comprehensive risk management.
First Analysis of the EU Artifical Intelligence Act: Towards a Global Standard for Trustworthy AI?
Authors: Marion Ho-Dac
Date: 2024-07-31 00:00:00

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) came into force in the European Union (EU) on 1 August 2024. It is a key piece of legislation both for the citizens at the heart of AI technologies and for the industry active in the internal market. The AI Act imposes progressive compliance on organisations - both private and public - involved in the global value chain of AI systems and models marketed and used in the EU. While the Act is unprecedented on an international scale in terms of its horizontal and binding regulatory scope, its global appeal in support of trustworthy AI is one of its major challenges.
Effects of a Prompt Engineering Intervention on Undergraduate Students' AI Self-Efficacy, AI Knowledge and Prompt Engineering Ability: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: David James Woo, DeLiang Wang, Tim Yung, Kai Guo
Date: 2024-07-30 00:00:00
Tasks: Prompt Engineering

Prompt engineering is critical for effective interaction with large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT. However, efforts to teach this skill to students have been limited. This study designed and implemented a prompt engineering intervention, examining its influence on undergraduate students' AI self-efficacy, AI knowledge, and proficiency in creating effective prompts. The intervention involved 27 students who participated in a 100-minute workshop conducted during their history course at a university in Hong Kong. During the workshop, students were introduced to prompt engineering strategies, which they applied to plan the course's final essay task. Multiple data sources were collected, including students' responses to pre- and post-workshop questionnaires, pre- and post-workshop prompt libraries, and written reflections. The study's findings revealed that students demonstrated a higher level of AI self-efficacy, an enhanced understanding of AI concepts, and improved prompt engineering skills because of the intervention. These findings have implications for AI literacy education, as they highlight the importance of prompt engineering training for specific higher education use cases. This is a significant shift from students haphazardly and intuitively learning to engineer prompts. Through prompt engineering education, educators can faciitate students' effective navigation and leverage of LLMs to support their coursework.
A Survey of AI Reliance
Authors: Sven Eckhardt, Niklas Kühl, Mateusz Dolata, Gerhard Schwabe
Date: 2024-07-22 00:00:00
Tasks: Survey

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have become an indispensable component of modern technology. However, research on human behavioral responses is lagging behind, i.e., the research into human reliance on AI advice (AI reliance). Current shortcomings in the literature include the unclear influences on AI reliance, lack of external validity, conflicting approaches to measuring reliance, and disregard for a change in reliance over time. Promising avenues for future research include reliance on generative AI output and reliance in multi-user situations. In conclusion, we present a morphological box that serves as a guide for research on AI reliance.
Impacts of Anthropomorphizing Large Language Models in Learning Environments
Authors: Kristina Schaaff, Marc-André Heidelmann
Date: 2024-07-22 00:00:00
Tasks: Chatbot

Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being used in learning environments to support teaching-be it as learning companions or as tutors. With our contribution, we aim to discuss the implications of the anthropomorphization of LLMs in learning environments on educational theory to build a foundation for more effective learning outcomes and understand their emotional impact on learners. According to the media equation, people tend to respond to media in the same way as they would respond to another person. A study conducted by the Georgia Institute of Technology showed that chatbots can be successfully implemented in learning environments. In this study, learners in selected online courses were unable to distinguish the chatbot from a "real" teacher. As LLM-based chatbots such as OpenAI's GPT series are increasingly used in educational tools, it is important to understand how the attribution processes to LLM-based chatbots in terms of anthropomorphization affect learners' emotions.
Fair Combinatorial Auction for Blockchain Trade Intents: Being Fair without Knowing What is Fair
Authors: Andrea Canidio, Felix Henneke
Date: 2024-08-22 00:00:00
Tasks: Fairness

Blockchain trade intent auctions currently intermediate approximately USD 5 billion monthly. Due to production complementarities, the auction is combinatorial: when multiple trade intents from different traders are auctioned off simultaneously, a bidder (here called solver) can generate additional efficiencies by winning a batch of multiple trade intents. However, sharing these additional efficiencies between traders is problematic: because of market frictions and fees (solvers' private information), the auctioneer does not know how much each trader would have received had its trade been auctioned off individually. We formalize this problem and study the most commonly used auction formats: batch auctions and multiple simultaneous auctions. We also propose a novel fair combinatorial auction that combines batch auction and multiple simultaneous auctions: solvers submit individual-trade bids and batched bids, but batched bids are considered only if they are better for all traders relative to the outcome of the simultaneous auctions constructed using the individual-trade bids. We find a trade-off between the fairness guarantees provided in equilibrium by the auction (i.e., the minimum each trader can expect to receive) and the expected value of the assets returned to the traders. Also, the amount that each trader receives in the equilibrium of the fair combinatorial auction may be higher or lower than what they receive in the equilibrium of the simultaneous auctions used as a benchmark for fairness.