IP Library Granted Patent US 12,475,368
Granted Patent B2
US 12,475,368 · App. 17/451,260 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Machine unlearning and retraining of a machine learning model based on a modified training dataset

Inventors: Enayat Ullah (Baltimore, MD); Anup Bandigadi Rao (San Jose, CA); Tung Mai (San Jose, CA); Ryan A. Rossi (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: ADOBE INC.
G06N3/08G06N3/047
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,475,368
App. No.
17/451,260
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for training a neural network are described. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include training a neural network based on a first combined gradient of a loss function at a plurality of sampled elements of a dataset; receiving an insertion request that indicates an insertion element to be added to the dataset, or a deletion request that indicates a deletion element to be removed from the dataset, wherein the deletion element is one of the plurality of sampled elements; computing a second combined gradient of the loss function by adding the insertion element to the dataset or by replacing the deletion element with a replacement element from the dataset; determining whether the first combined gradient and the second combined gradient satisfy a stochastic condition; and retraining the neural network to obtain a modified neural network based on the determination.

Claims (66)

1 . A method of training a neural network, comprising:

training a neural network based on a first combined gradient of a loss function at a plurality of sampled elements of a dataset;

receiving an insertion request that indicates an insertion element to be added to the dataset, or a deletion request that indicates a deletion element to be removed from the dataset, wherein the deletion element is one of the plurality of sampled elements;

computing a second combined gradient of the loss function by adding the insertion element to the dataset or by replacing the deletion element with a replacement element from the dataset;

determining whether the first combined gradient and the second combined gradient satisfy a stochastic condition; and

retraining the neural network to obtain a modified neural network based on the determination.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing the first combined gradient by taking an average of partial gradients for the plurality of sampled elements.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

adding a noise parameter to the first combined gradient, wherein the neural network is trained based on the first combined gradient with the added noise parameter.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing an optimal transport process on the first combined gradient to obtain the second combined gradient.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing a first partial gradient based on the deletion element, wherein the first combined gradient is based on the first partial gradient;

sampling an additional element from the dataset;

computing a second partial gradient based on the additional element; and

computing the second combined gradient based on the first partial gradient, the second partial gradient, and the first combined gradient.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing rejection sampling on the sampled elements, wherein the neural network is retrained based on the rejection sampling.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing a first probability density based on the first combined gradient and a noise parameter;

computing a second probability density based on the second combined gradient and the noise parameter; and

computing a ratio based on the first probability density and the second probability density, wherein the stochastic condition is based on the ratio.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

selecting the replacement element from a current batch of the dataset;

determining that the ratio satisfies the stochastic condition based on the replacement element;

accepting the replacement element as a sample of the current batch based on satisfying the stochastic condition; and

evaluating a subsequent batch of the dataset, wherein the subsequent batch is evaluated without retraining the neural network based on the current batch.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

determining that the ratio fails to satisfy the stochastic condition;

computing a reflected gradient based on the determination; and

retraining the neural network based on the reflected gradient.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein training the neural network further comprises:

computing a first iteration of a model parameter during a first previous training phase;

computing a second iteration of the model parameter during a second previous training phase;

computing a weighted sum of the first iteration of the model parameter and the second iteration of the model parameter; and

computing a third iteration of the model parameter based on the weighted sum and the first combined gradient.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the insertion request; and

retraining the neural network based on the insertion request.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

dividing the dataset to a plurality of batches, wherein the training is performed in a plurality of training phases corresponding to the plurality of batches.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of additional deletion requests, wherein each of the additional deletion requests indicates an additional deletion element of the dataset to be removed; and

retraining the modified neural network based on each of the additional deletion requests.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

a total variation distance between an output distribution of the neural network before retraining and a modified output distribution of the modified neural network is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.

15 . A method comprising:

operating a neural network that is trained on a dataset including a plurality of minibatches;

receiving a deletion request that indicates a deletion element to be removed from the dataset;

retraining the neural network based on a modified training dataset that does not include the deletion element by performing an optimal transport algorithm for at least one of the minibatches; and

operating the neural network subsequent to a down-time corresponding to the retraining, wherein the down-time is shorter than a second down-time corresponding to a second retraining of the neural network using each of the minibatches.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining whether a combined loss function gradient corresponding to an initial minibatch of the modified training dataset satisfies a stochastic condition; and

determining whether to retrain the neural network using the initial minibatch based on the determination.

17 . An apparatus for training a neural network, comprising:

a processor and a memory storing instructions and in electronic communication with the processor, the processor being configured to execute the instructions to:

train a neural network based on a first combined gradient of a loss function at a plurality of sampled elements of a dataset;

receive an insertion request that indicates an insertion element to be added to the dataset, or a deletion request that indicates a deletion element to be removed from the dataset, wherein the deletion element is one of the plurality of sampled elements;

compute a second combined gradient of the loss function by adding the insertion element to the dataset or by replacing the deletion element with a replacement element from the dataset;

determine whether the first combined gradient and the second combined gradient satisfy a stochastic condition; and

retrain the neural network to obtain a modified neural network based on the determination.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

a rejection sampling component configured to perform rejection sampling on the sampled elements, wherein the neural network is retrained based on the rejection sampling.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , the instructions further configured to:

perform an optimal transport process on the first combined gradient to obtain the second combined gradient.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2021
From: ULLAH, ENAYAT; RAO, ANUP BANDIGADI; MAI, TUNG; ROSSI, RYAN A.
To: ADOBE INC.
Reel/Frame 057823/0062 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230118785A1 · Apr 20, 2023
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