{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7128641320","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","title":"Feature salience - not task-informativeness - drives machine learning model explanations","display_name":"Feature salience - not task-informativeness - drives machine learning model explanations","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-02-09","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7128641320","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125647721","display_name":"Benedict Clark","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Clark, Benedict","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5108051104","display_name":"Marta Oliveira","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8123-5471"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Oliveira, Marta","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5064229790","display_name":"Rick Wilming","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wilming, Rick","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5125648999","display_name":"Stefan Haufe","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Haufe, Stefan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5125647721"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.9794999957084656,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.9794999957084656,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11689","display_name":"Adversarial Robustness in Machine Learning","score":0.010499999858438969,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10036","display_name":"Advanced Neural Network Applications","score":0.00139999995008111,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/spurious-relationship","display_name":"Spurious relationship","score":0.7282999753952026},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/salience","display_name":"Salience (neuroscience)","score":0.7117999792098999},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/novelty","display_name":"Novelty","score":0.5738000273704529},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/feature","display_name":"Feature (linguistics)","score":0.5246999859809875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/pattern-recognition","display_name":"Pattern recognition (psychology)","score":0.47450000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/attribution","display_name":"Attribution","score":0.438400000333786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/robustness","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","score":0.39239999651908875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/novelty-detection","display_name":"Novelty detection","score":0.3197000026702881}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.7369999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97256817","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1462316","display_name":"Spurious relationship","level":2,"score":0.7282999753952026},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108154423","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1469792","display_name":"Salience (neuroscience)","level":2,"score":0.7117999792098999},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6312999725341797},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778738651","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16546687","display_name":"Novelty","level":2,"score":0.5738000273704529},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.5437999963760376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776401178","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12050496","display_name":"Feature (linguistics)","level":2,"score":0.5246999859809875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153180895","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7148389","display_name":"Pattern recognition (psychology)","level":2,"score":0.47450000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C143299363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q900584","display_name":"Attribution","level":2,"score":0.438400000333786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63479239","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7353546","display_name":"Robustness (evolution)","level":3,"score":0.39239999651908875},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778924833","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7064603","display_name":"Novelty detection","level":3,"score":0.3197000026702881},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26760741","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160402","display_name":"Perception","level":2,"score":0.3163999915122986},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C114289077","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3284399","display_name":"Statistical model","level":2,"score":0.30880001187324524},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C46686674","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466303","display_name":"Boosting (machine learning)","level":2,"score":0.29499998688697815},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115961682","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q860623","display_name":"Image (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.2948000133037567},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C87007009","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q210832","display_name":"Statistical hypothesis testing","level":2,"score":0.28929999470710754},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52622490","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1026626","display_name":"Feature extraction","level":2,"score":0.2750999927520752},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75294576","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5165192","display_name":"Contextual image classification","level":3,"score":0.266400009393692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C59404180","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17013334","display_name":"Feature learning","level":2,"score":0.25679999589920044}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:doi:10.48550/arxiv.2602.09238","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":null,"pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4406922384","display_name":"Open MIND","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.729306697845459,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Explainable":[0],"AI":[1],"(XAI)":[2],"promises":[3],"to":[4,17,176,186,240],"provide":[5],"insight":[6],"into":[7],"machine":[8,226],"learning":[9,87,227],"models'":[10],"decision":[11],"processes,":[12],"where":[13],"one":[14],"goal":[15],"is":[16,49,53,146,207],"identify":[18],"failures":[19],"such":[20,68],"as":[21,35,69,106,256],"shortcut":[22],"learning.":[23],"This":[24],"promise":[25],"relies":[26],"on":[27,89,155,165],"the":[28,44,55,133,142,212],"field's":[29],"assumption":[30],"that":[31,204],"input":[32],"features":[33],"marked":[34],"important":[36],"by":[37,194,211,225],"an":[38],"XAI":[39,171,233],"must":[40],"contain":[41],"information":[42],"about":[43],"target":[45],"variable.":[46],"However,":[47],"it":[48],"unclear":[50],"whether":[51,141],"informativeness":[52],"indeed":[54],"main":[56],"driver":[57],"of":[58,92,132,144,197,214,245],"importance":[59,123,185,205],"attribution":[60,117,206,254],"in":[61,98,124],"practice,":[62],"or":[63,75,109,148],"if":[64],"other":[65],"data":[66],"properties":[67],"statistical":[70,222],"suppression,":[71],"novelty":[72],"at":[73,217],"test-time,":[74],"high":[76],"feature":[77,199,246,253],"salience":[78,213,247],"substantially":[79,120,183],"contribute.":[80],"To":[81],"clarify":[82],"this,":[83],"we":[84],"trained":[85],"deep":[86],"models":[88,130],"three":[90],"variants":[91],"a":[93,152,161,241],"binary":[94],"image":[95,190,215],"classification":[96],"task,":[97],"which":[99],"translucent":[100],"watermarks":[101,145,187],"are":[102,192],"either":[103],"absent,":[104],"act":[105],"class-dependent":[107,147],"confounds,":[108],"represent":[110],"class-independent":[111],"noise.":[112],"Results":[113],"for":[114,128],"five":[115],"popular":[116],"methods":[118,172,255],"show":[119,173],"elevated":[121],"relative":[122],"watermarked":[125],"areas":[126],"(RIW)":[127],"all":[129],"regardless":[131],"training":[134],"setting":[135],"($R^2":[136,157],"\\geq":[137],".45$).":[138],"By":[139],"contrast,":[140],"presence":[143],"not":[149],"only":[150],"has":[151],"marginal":[153],"effect":[154],"RIW":[156],"\\leq":[158],".03$),":[159],"despite":[160],"clear":[162],"impact":[163,164],"model":[166],"performance":[167],"and":[168,181,248,250],"generalisation":[169],"ability.":[170],"similar":[174],"behaviour":[175],"model-agnostic":[177],"edge":[178],"detection":[179],"filters":[180],"attribute":[182],"less":[184],"when":[188],"bright":[189],"intensities":[191],"encoded":[193],"smaller":[195],"instead":[196],"larger":[198],"values.":[200],"These":[201],"results":[202],"indicate":[203],"most":[208],"strongly":[209],"driven":[210],"structures":[216],"test":[218],"time":[219],"rather":[220],"than":[221],"associations":[223],"learned":[224],"models.":[228],"Previous":[229],"studies":[230],"demonstrating":[231],"successful":[232],"application":[234],"should":[235,259],"be":[236,260],"reevaluated":[237],"with":[238],"respect":[239],"possibly":[242],"spurious":[243],"concurrency":[244],"informativeness,":[249],"workflows":[251],"using":[252],"building":[257],"blocks":[258],"scrutinised.":[261]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-04T16:13:02.066488","created_date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00"}
