Machine learning classification with confidence thresholds

Abstract

A machine learning classifier may classify observations into one or more of i categories, and may be configured to: receive test data that includes j observations, each associated with a respective ground truth category, and produce output that provides, for each particular observation of the j observations, a set of i probabilities, one probability for each of the i categories. For each particular confidence threshold in k confidence thresholds, a computing device may: reclassify, into a null category, any of the j observations for which all of the set of i probabilities are less than the particular confidence threshold, and determine a respective precision value and a respective coverage value for a particular category of the i categories. A specific confidence threshold in the k confidence thresholds may be selected, and further observations may be reclassified into the null category in accordance with the specific confidence threshold.