Generating Image Counterfactuals in Deep Learning Models Without the Aid of Generative Models

Abstract

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, particularly the rise of deep learning, the importance of Explainable Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly prominent. Among its key techniques, counterfactual explanation plays a crucial role in understanding the decision-making mechanisms of opaque models. However, the high dimensionality and complex feature patterns of image data pose significant challenges for the task of generating counterfactuals for images. Existing literature has proposed various algorithms based on different assumptions, many of which rely on the existence of appropriate generative models. Some of these assumptions, particularly the assumption regarding the existence of generative models, may be overly stringent. To address this issue, this letter introduces a novel assumption-free image counterfactual generation algorithm, DFO-S, based on Score Matching and gradient-free optimization techniques. The proposed method achieves high-quality counterfactual generation without relying on generative models. Through extensive empirical analysis, we demonstrate the significant superiority of our method in terms of performance.