Abstract
Traditional recurrent neural networks (RNNs) are essential for processing time-series data. However, they function as read-only models, lacking the ability to directly modify the data they learn from. In this study, we introduce the corrector long short-term memory (cLSTM), a Read & Write LSTM architecture that not only learns from the data but also dynamically adjusts it when necessary. The cLSTM model leverages two key components: (a) predicting LSTM’s cell states using Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) and (b) refining the training data based on discrepancies between actual and forecasted cell states. Our empirical validation demonstrates that cLSTM surpasses read-only LSTM models in forecasting accuracy across the Numenta Anomaly Benchmark (NAB) and M4 Competition datasets. Additionally, cLSTM exhibits superior performance in anomaly detection compared to hierarchical temporal memory (HTM) models. © The Author(s) 2024.

Abstract
We introduce the Robustness of Hierarchically Organized Time Series (RHiOTS) framework, designed to assess the robustness of hierarchical time series forecasting models and algorithms on real-world datasets. Hierarchical time series, where lower-level forecasts must sum to upper-level ones, are prevalent in various contexts, such as retail sales across countries. Current empirical evaluations of forecasting methods are often limited to a small set of benchmark datasets, offering a narrow view of algorithm behavior. RHiOTS addresses this gap by systematically altering existing datasets and modifying the characteristics of individual series and their interrelations. It uses a set of parameterizable transformations to simulate those changes in the data distribution. Additionally, RHiOTS incorporates an innovative visualization component, turning complex, multidimensional robustness evaluation results into intuitive, easily interpretable visuals. This approach allows an in-depth analysis of algorithm and model behavior under diverse conditions. We illustrate the use of RHiOTS by analyzing the predictive performance of several algorithms. Our findings show that traditional statistical methods are more robust than state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms, except when the transformation effect is highly disruptive. Furthermore, we found no significant differences in the robustness of the algorithms when applying specific reconciliation methods, such as MinT. RHiOTS provides researchers with a comprehensive tool for understanding the nuanced behavior of forecasting algorithms, offering a more reliable basis for selecting the most appropriate method for a given problem.

Abstract
Today, autonomous agents, the Internet of Things, and smart devices produce more and more distributed data and use them to learn models for different purposes. One challenge is that learning from local data only may lead to suboptimal models. Thus, better models are expected if agents can exchange data, leading to approaches such as federated learning. However, these approaches assume that data have no value and, thus, is exchanged for free. A machine learning data market (MLDM), a framework based on multiagent systems with a market-based perspective on data exchange, was recently proposed. In an MLDM, each agent trains its model based on both local data and data bought from other agents. Although the empirical results are interesting, several challenges are still open, including data acquisition and data valuation. The MLDM is an illustrative example of how the value of data can and should be integrated into the design of distributed ML systems.

Abstract
Financial fraud is the cause of multi-billion dollar losses annually. Traditionally, fraud detection systems rely on rules due to their transparency and interpretability, key features in domains where decisions need to be explained. However, rule systems require significant input from domain experts to create and tune, an issue that rule induction algorithms attempt to mitigate by inferring rules directly from data. We explore the application of these algorithms to fraud detection, where rule systems are constrained to have a low false positive rate (FPR) or alert rate, by proposing RIFF, a rule induction algorithm that distills a low FPR rule set directly from decision trees. Our experiments show that the induced rules are often able to maintain or improve performance of the original models for low FPR tasks, while substantially reducing their complexity and outperforming rules hand-tuned by experts.

Abstract
As machine learning technologies are increasingly adopted, the demand for responsible AI practices to ensure transparency and accountability grows. To better understand the decision-making processes of machine learning models, GASTeN was developed to generate realistic yet ambiguous synthetic data near a classifier’s decision boundary. However, the results were inconsistent, with few images in the low-confidence region and noise. Therefore, we propose a new GASTeN version with a modified architecture and a novel loss function. This new loss function incorporates a multi-objective measure with a Gaussian loss centered on the classifier probability, targeting the decision boundary. Our study found that while the original GASTeN architecture yields the highest Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) scores, the updated version achieves lower Average Confusion Distance (ACD) values and consistent performance across low-confidence regions. Both architectures produce realistic and ambiguous images, but the updated one is more reliable, with no instances of GAN mode collapse. Additionally, the introduction of the Gaussian loss enhanced this architecture by allowing for adjustable tolerance in image generation around the decision boundary. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.

Abstract
DeepAR is a popular probabilistic time series forecasting algorithm. According to the authors, DeepAR is particularly suitable to build global models using hundreds of related time series. For this reason, it is a common expectation that DeepAR obtains poor results in univariate forecasting [10]. However, there are no empirical studies that clearly support this. Here, we compare the performance of DeepAR with standard forecasting models to assess its performance regarding 1 step-ahead forecasts. We use 100 time series from the M4 competition to compare univariate DeepAR with univariate LSTM and SARIMAX models, both for point and quantile forecasts. Results show that DeepAR obtains good results, which contradicts common perception. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.