Attention Please: What Transformer Models Really Learn for Process Prediction

Käppel M, Ackermann L, Jablonski S, Härtl S (2024)


Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution

Publication year: 2024

Publisher: Springer

Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science

City/Town: Cham

Book Volume: 14940

Pages Range: 203-220

Conference Proceedings Title: Business Process Management 22nd International Conference, BPM 2024, Krakow, Poland, September 1–6, 2024, Proceedings

Event location: Krakau PL

ISBN: 978-3-031-70395-9

URI: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-70396-6_12

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-70396-6_12

Abstract

Predictive process monitoring aims to support the execution of a process during runtime with various predictions about the further evolution of a process instance. In the last years a plethora of deep learning architectures have been established as state-of-the-art for different prediction targets, among others the transformer architecture. The transformer architecture is equipped with a powerful attention mechanism, assigning attention scores to each input part that allows to prioritize most relevant information leading to more accurate and contextual output. However, deep learning models largely represent a black box, i.e., their reasoning or decision-making process cannot be understood in detail. This paper examines whether the attention scores of a transformer based next-activity prediction model can serve as an explanation for its decision-making. We find that attention scores in next-activity prediction models can serve as explainers and exploit this fact in two proposed graph-based explanation approaches. The gained insights could inspire future work on the improvement of predictive business process models as well as enabling a neural network based mining of process models from event logs.

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How to cite

APA:

Käppel, M., Ackermann, L., Jablonski, S., & Härtl, S. (2024). Attention Please: What Transformer Models Really Learn for Process Prediction. In Marrella, Andrea Resinas, Manuel Jans, Mieke Rosemann, Michael (Eds.), Business Process Management 22nd International Conference, BPM 2024, Krakow, Poland, September 1–6, 2024, Proceedings (pp. 203-220). Krakau, PL: Cham: Springer.

MLA:

Käppel, Martin, et al. "Attention Please: What Transformer Models Really Learn for Process Prediction." Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Process Management, Krakau Ed. Marrella, Andrea Resinas, Manuel Jans, Mieke Rosemann, Michael, Cham: Springer, 2024. 203-220.

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