An Efficient Perpetual Learning Algorithm

Abstract

One of the emerging research opportunities in machine learning is to develop computing systems that learn many tasks continuously and improve the performance of learned tasks incrementally over time. In real world, learners have to adapt to labeled and unlabeled samples from various tasks which arrive randomly. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm called Efficient Perpetual Learning Algorithm (EPLA) which is suitable for learning multiple tasks in both offline and online settings. The algorithm, which is an extension of ELLA,4 is part of what we call perpetual learning that can learn new tasks or refine knowledge of learned tasks for improved performance with newly arrived labeled samples in an incremental fashion. Several salient features exist for EPLA. The learning episodes are triggered via either extrinsic or intrinsic stimuli. Agent systems based on the proposed algorithm can be engaged in an open-ended and alternating sequence of learning episodes and working episodes. Unlabeled samples can be used to self-train the learner in small data setting. Compared with ELLA, EPLA shows almost equivalent performance without memorizing any labeled samples learned previously.