Systematic review on neural architecture search

Abstract

Machine Learning (ML) has revolutionized various fields, enabling the development of intelligent systems capable of solving complex problems. However, the process of manually designing and optimizing ML models is often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires specialized expertise. To address these challenges, Automatic Machine Learning (AutoML) has emerged as a promising approach that automates the process of selecting and optimizing ML models. Within the realm of AutoML, Neural Architecture Search (NAS) has emerged as a powerful technique that automates the design of neural network architectures, the core components of ML models. It has recently gained significant attraction due to its capability to discover novel and efficient architectures that surpass human-designed counterparts. This manuscript aims to present a systematic review of the literature on this topic published between 2017 and 2023 to identify, analyze, and classify the different types of algorithms developed for NAS. The methodology follows the guidelines of Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methods. Consequently, this study identified 160 articles that provide a comprehensive overview of the field of NAS, encompassing discussion on current works, their purposes, conclusions, and predictions of the direction of this science branch in its main core pillars: Search Space (SSp), Search Strategy (SSt), and Validation Strategy (VSt). Subsequently, the key milestones and advancements that have shaped the field are highlighted. Moreover, we discuss the challenges and open issues that remain in the field. We envision that NAS will continue to play a pivotal role in the advancement of ML, enabling the development of more intelligent and efficient ML models for a wide range of applications.