A New Way to Find Bugs in Self-Driving AI Could Save Lives

[scottf200]

Title: A New Way to Find Bugs in Self-Driving AI Could Save Lives
A New Way to Find Bugs in Self-Driving AI Could Save Lives

Most software bugs won’t kill you. A possibly lethal exception could be the error that leads a self-driving car’s AI to make the wrong decision at the wrong time. That is why researchers developed a bug-hunting method that can systematically expose bad decision-making by the deep learning algorithms deployed in online services and autonomous vehicles.

The new DeepXplore method uses at least three neural networks—the basic architecture of deep learning algorithms—to act as “cross-referencing oracles” in checking each other’s accuracy. Researchers at Columbia University and Lehigh University designed DeepXplore to solve an optimization problem in which they looked to strike the best balance between two objectives: maximizing the number of neurons activated within neural networks, and triggering as many conflicting decisions as possible among different neural networks. By assuming that the majority of neural networks will generally make the right decision, DeepXplore automatically retrains the neural network that made the lone dissenting decision to follow the example of the majority in a given scenario.

“This is a differential testing framework that can find thousands of errors in self-driving systems and in similar neural network systems,” says Yinzhi Cao, assistant professor of computer science at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.
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[NeverFollow]

I wonder how autonomous car would be possible in congested areas?

I was just dropping someone at the airport this morning and there was car every where
in front of the terminal.

I really have to do some forcing to change lane as there was constantly a flow of taxis,
and the drivers were not willing to stop to let me changing lane.

I try to imagine how an autonomous car would have been able to move in this situation!

May be autonomous car will require to use designated spots to stop for getting in or out
some passengers?

 

[ggr]

Title: A New Way to Find Bugs in Self-Driving AI Could Save Lives
A New Way to Find Bugs in Self-Driving AI Could Save Lives

Most software bugs won’t kill you. A possibly lethal exception could be the error that leads a self-driving car’s AI to make the wrong decision at the wrong time. That is why researchers developed a bug-hunting method that can systematically expose bad decision-making by the deep learning algorithms deployed in online services and autonomous vehicles.

The new DeepXplore method uses at least three neural networks—the basic architecture of deep learning algorithms—to act as “cross-referencing oracles” in checking each other’s accuracy. Researchers at Columbia University and Lehigh University designed DeepXplore to solve an optimization problem in which they looked to strike the best balance between two objectives: maximizing the number of neurons activated within neural networks, and triggering as many conflicting decisions as possible among different neural networks. By assuming that the majority of neural networks will generally make the right decision, DeepXplore automatically retrains the neural network that made the lone dissenting decision to follow the example of the majority in a given scenario.

Groupthink?

 

[scottf200]

Groupthink?

Can you expand on that? Aren't these folks are using NN to test NN by "triggering as many conflicting decisions as possible among different neural networks. "?