Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly applied to solve complex real-world problems. One of the most significant challenges in AI lies in selecting and fine-tuning the optimal algorithm for a given task. Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) models have emerged as a promising solution to a...

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Main Authors: Muhammad Salman Khan, Tianbo Peng, Hanzlah Akhlaq, Muhammad Adeel Khan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10982237/
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author Muhammad Salman Khan
Tianbo Peng
Hanzlah Akhlaq
Muhammad Adeel Khan
author_facet Muhammad Salman Khan
Tianbo Peng
Hanzlah Akhlaq
Muhammad Adeel Khan
author_sort Muhammad Salman Khan
collection DOAJ
description Artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly applied to solve complex real-world problems. One of the most significant challenges in AI lies in selecting and fine-tuning the optimal algorithm for a given task. Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) models have emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by systematically exploring hyperparameter spaces to identify optimal configurations efficiently. This study addresses critical gaps in the current literature by conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis of AutoML frameworks for hyperparameter optimization and evaluating the effectiveness of various explainability techniques for enhancing model interpretability. For this purpose, Random forest (RF) is selected as the base model and integrated with nine different AutoML frameworks, namely Random search (RS), Grid search (GS), Hyperopt, TPOT, Optuna, GP Minimize, Forest Minimize, GBRT Minimize, and Dummy Minimize. The study focuses on predicting the ultimate moment capacity of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) beams and U-shaped girders. Furthermore, the insights from SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) are also compared with those derived from alternative explainability methods, including Local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), partial dependence plots (PDP), and sklearn permutation importance rankings to examine the contributions of individual parameters to the ultimate moment capacity predictions of UHPC beams using the best-performing AutoML model. The findings demonstrate that Optuna consistently outperforms its counterparts, achieving the highest predictive accuracy and the lowest computational training time. The findings also highlight SHAP’s superiority in offering detailed, consistent, and actionable insights, making it the preferred method for both global feature importance and individual feature analysis in high-stakes engineering applications.
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spelling doaj-art-e6d7040f43f44697a16a15b7054a3d852025-08-20T03:47:33ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-0113849668499110.1109/ACCESS.2025.356642710982237Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence ModelsMuhammad Salman Khan0Tianbo Peng1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4403-1135Hanzlah Akhlaq2Muhammad Adeel Khan3https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5988-718XDepartment of Bridge Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Bridge Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Bridge Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Bridge Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, ChinaArtificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly applied to solve complex real-world problems. One of the most significant challenges in AI lies in selecting and fine-tuning the optimal algorithm for a given task. Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) models have emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by systematically exploring hyperparameter spaces to identify optimal configurations efficiently. This study addresses critical gaps in the current literature by conducting a comprehensive comparative analysis of AutoML frameworks for hyperparameter optimization and evaluating the effectiveness of various explainability techniques for enhancing model interpretability. For this purpose, Random forest (RF) is selected as the base model and integrated with nine different AutoML frameworks, namely Random search (RS), Grid search (GS), Hyperopt, TPOT, Optuna, GP Minimize, Forest Minimize, GBRT Minimize, and Dummy Minimize. The study focuses on predicting the ultimate moment capacity of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) beams and U-shaped girders. Furthermore, the insights from SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) are also compared with those derived from alternative explainability methods, including Local interpretable model-agnostic explanations (LIME), partial dependence plots (PDP), and sklearn permutation importance rankings to examine the contributions of individual parameters to the ultimate moment capacity predictions of UHPC beams using the best-performing AutoML model. The findings demonstrate that Optuna consistently outperforms its counterparts, achieving the highest predictive accuracy and the lowest computational training time. The findings also highlight SHAP’s superiority in offering detailed, consistent, and actionable insights, making it the preferred method for both global feature importance and individual feature analysis in high-stakes engineering applications.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10982237/Automated machine learningcomparative analysishyperparameter optimizationmoment capacityoptunarandom forest
spellingShingle Muhammad Salman Khan
Tianbo Peng
Hanzlah Akhlaq
Muhammad Adeel Khan
Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
IEEE Access
Automated machine learning
comparative analysis
hyperparameter optimization
moment capacity
optuna
random forest
title Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
title_full Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
title_fullStr Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
title_short Comparative Analysis of Automated Machine Learning for Hyperparameter Optimization and Explainable Artificial Intelligence Models
title_sort comparative analysis of automated machine learning for hyperparameter optimization and explainable artificial intelligence models
topic Automated machine learning
comparative analysis
hyperparameter optimization
moment capacity
optuna
random forest
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10982237/
work_keys_str_mv AT muhammadsalmankhan comparativeanalysisofautomatedmachinelearningforhyperparameteroptimizationandexplainableartificialintelligencemodels
AT tianbopeng comparativeanalysisofautomatedmachinelearningforhyperparameteroptimizationandexplainableartificialintelligencemodels
AT hanzlahakhlaq comparativeanalysisofautomatedmachinelearningforhyperparameteroptimizationandexplainableartificialintelligencemodels
AT muhammadadeelkhan comparativeanalysisofautomatedmachinelearningforhyperparameteroptimizationandexplainableartificialintelligencemodels