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The decisions made by machines are increasingly comparable in predictive performance to those made by humans, but these decision making processes are often concealed as black boxes. Additional techniques are required to extract understanding, and one such category are explanation methods. This research compares the explanations of two popular forms of artificial intelligence; neural networks and random forests. Researchers in either field often have divided opinions on transparency, and comparing explanations may discover similar ground truths between models. Similarity can help to encourage trust in predictive accuracy alongside transparent structure and unite the respective research fields. This research explores a variety of simulated and real-world datasets that ensure fair applicability to both learning algorithms. A new heuristic explanation method that extends an existing technique is introduced, and our results show that this is somewhat similar to the other methods examined whilst also offering an alternative perspective towards least-important features.

Machine learning tools, like deep neural networks, are perceived to be black boxes. That is, the only way of changing their internal data models is to retrain these models using different inputs. This is ineffective in dynamic systems that are prone to changes, like concept drift. A new promising solution is transparent artificial intelligence, based on the notions of interpretation and explanation, whose objective is to correlate the internal data models with predictions. The research question being addressed is whether we can have a self-adaptive machine learning system that is able to interpret and explain its data model in order for it to be controlled. In this position paper, we present our initial thoughts whether this can be achieved.