Year: 2023
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This Master's Thesis project set out with the objective to propose a machine learning model for predicting insurance risk at the level of an individual coverage, and compare it towards the existing models used by the project provider Gjensidige Försäkring. Due to interpretability constraints, it was found that this problem can be translated into a standard tabular regression task, with well defined target distributions. However, it was early identified that the set of feasible models do not contain pure black box models such as XGBoost, LightGBM and CatBoost which are typical choices for tabular data regression. In the report, we explicitly formulate the interpretability constraints in sharp mathematical language. It is concluded that interpretability can be ensured by enforcing a particular structure on the Hilbert space across which we are looking for the model. Using this formalism, we consider two different approaches for fitting high performing models that maintain interpretability, where we conclude that gradient boosted regression tree based Generalized Additive Models in general, and the Explainable Boosting Machine in particular, is a promising model candidate consisting of functions within the Hilbert space of interest. The other approach considered is the basis expansion approach, which is currently used at the project provider. We make the argument that the gradient boosted regression tree approach used by the Explainable Boosting Machine is a more suitable model type for an automated, data driven modelling approach which is likely to generalize well outside of the training set. Finally, we perform an empirical study on three different internal datasets, where the Explainable Boosting Machine is compared towards the current production models. We find that the Explainable Boosting Machine systematically outperforms the current models on unseen test data. There are many potential ways to explain this, but the main hypothesis brought forward in the report is that the sequential model fitting procedure allowed by the regression tree approach allows us to effectively explore a larger portion of the Hilbert space which contains all permitted models in comparison to the basis expansion approach.
Author: Darke, Felix
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6982576477