Machine Learning For Causal Inference

Machine Learning for Causal Inference

This book provides a deep understanding of the relationship between machine learning and causal inference. It covers a broad range of topics, starting with the preliminary foundations of causal inference, which include basic definitions, illustrative examples, and assumptions. It then delves into the different types of classical causal inference methods, such as matching, weighting, tree-based models, and more. Additionally, the book explores how machine learning can be used for causal effect estimation based on representation learning and graph learning. The contribution of causal inference in creating trustworthy machine learning systems to accomplish diversity, non-discrimination and fairness, transparency and explainability, generalization and robustness, and more is also discussed. The book also provides practical applications of causal inference in various domains such as natural language processing, recommender systems, computer vision, time series forecasting, and continual learning. Each chapter of the book is written by leading researchers in their respective fields. Machine Learning for Causal Inference explores the challenges associated with the relationship between machine learning and causal inference, such as biased estimates of causal effects, untrustworthy models, and complicated applications in other artificial intelligence domains. However, it also presents potential solutions to these issues. The book is a valuable resource for researchers, teachers, practitioners, and students interested in these fields. It provides insights into how combining machine learning and causal inference can improve the system's capability to accomplish causal artificial intelligence based on data. The book showcases promising research directions and emphasizes the importance of understanding the causal relationship to construct different machine-learning models from data.

Elements of Causal Inference

Targeted Learning in Data Science

This textbook for graduate students in statistics, data science, and public health deals with the practical challenges that come with big, complex, and dynamic data. It presents a scientific roadmap to translate real-world data science applications into formal statistical estimation problems by using the general template of targeted maximum likelihood estimators. These targeted machine learning algorithms estimate quantities of interest while still providing valid inference. Targeted learning methods within data science area critical component for solving scientific problems in the modern age. The techniques can answer complex questions including optimal rules for assigning treatment based on longitudinal data with time-dependent confounding, as well as other estimands in dependent data structures, such as networks. Included in Targeted Learning in Data Science are demonstrations with soft ware packages and real data sets that present a case that targeted learning is crucial for the next generation of statisticians and data scientists. Th is book is a sequel to the first textbook on machine learning for causal inference, Targeted Learning, published in 2011. Mark van der Laan, PhD, is Jiann-Ping Hsu/Karl E. Peace Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics at UC Berkeley. His research interests include statistical methods in genomics, survival analysis, censored data, machine learning, semiparametric models, causal inference, and targeted learning. Dr. van der Laan received the 2004 Mortimer Spiegelman Award, the 2005 Van Dantzig Award, the 2005 COPSS Snedecor Award, the 2005 COPSS Presidential Award, and has graduated over 40 PhD students in biostatistics and statistics. Sherri Rose, PhD, is Associate Professor of Health Care Policy (Biostatistics) at Harvard Medical School. Her work is centered on developing and integrating innovative statistical approaches to advance human health. Dr. Rose’s methodological research focuses on nonparametric machine learning for causal inference and prediction. She co-leads the Health Policy Data Science Lab and currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Statistical Association and Biostatistics.