Deep Learning

7 Common Machine Learning and Deep Learning

Mistakes and Limitations to Avoid
January 27, 2023 11 min read

Whether you’re just getting started or have been working with AI models for a while, there are
some common machine learning and deep learning mistakes we all need to be aware of and
reminded of from time to time. These can cause major headaches down the road if left
unchecked! If we pay close attention to our data, model infrastructure, and verify our outputs as
well we can sharpen our skills in practicing good data scientist habits.

Machine Learning and Deep Learning Data

Mistakes to Avoid
 Blog

When getting started in machine learning and deep learning there are mistakes that are easy to
avoid. Paying close attention to the data we input (as well as the output data) is crucial to our deep
learning and neural network models. The importance in preparing your dataset before running the
models is imperative to a strong model. When training an AI model, 80% of the work is data
preparation (gathering, cleaning, and preprocessing the data), while the last 20% is reserved for
model selection, training, tuning, and evaluation. Here are some common mistakes and limitations
we face when training data-driven AI models.

1. Using Low-Quality Data

Low-quality data can be a significant limitation when training AI models, particularly in deep
learning. The quality of the data can have a major impact on the performance of the model, and
low-quality data can lead to poor performance and unreliable results.

Some common issues with low-quality data include:

Missing or incomplete data: If a significant portion of the data is missing or incomplete, it can
make it difficult to train an accurate and reliable model.
Noisy data: Data that contains a lot of noise, such as outliers, errors, or irrelevant information,
can negatively impact the performance of the model by introducing bias and reducing the
overall accuracy.
Non-representative data: If the data used to train the model is not representative of the
problem or task it is being used for, it can lead to poor performance and generalization.
It’s extremely important to ensure that the data is high quality by carefully evaluating and scoping
it via data governance, data integration, and data exploration. By taking these steps we can
ensure clear, ready-to-use data.

2. Ignoring High or Low Outliers

The second most common deep learning mistake in data includes the failure to recognize and
account for outliers in datasets. It's crucial to not neglect these outliers because they can have a
significant impact on deep learning models, especially neural networks. We might think to keep it
as it is representative of the data but outliers are often edge cases and to train an AI model to
generalize a task, these outliers can hurt accuracy, introduce biases, and increase variance.

Sometimes they are just the result of data noise (which can be cleaned up by referencing what we
discussed in the last section), while other times they might be a sign of a more serious problem.
These outliers can drastically influence results and produce incorrect forecasts in models if we
don’t pay careful attention to the outliers in the data.

Here are a few efficient ways to handle outliers in the data:

Removing the outlier using proven statistical methods such as the z-score method, hypothesis
testing, and others.
Utilize techniques like Box-Cox transformation or median filtering to alter and clean them up by
clipping or adding caps to outlier values.
Switch to using stronger estimators such as the median data point or trimmed mean instead of
using the regular mean to better account for outliers

The specific way to deal with the outliers in datasets largely depends on the data being used and
the type of research the deep learning model is being used for. However, always be conscious of
them and take them into consideration to avoid what is one of the most common machine learning
and deep learning mistakes!

3. Utilizing Datasets That Are Too Large or Too Small

The size of the dataset can have a significant impact on the training of a deep-learning model. In
general, the larger the dataset, the better the model will perform. This is because a larger dataset
allows the model to learn more about the underlying patterns and relationships in the data, which
can lead to better generalization of new, unseen data.

However, it's important to note that simply having a large dataset is not enough. The data also
needs to be high quality and diverse in order to be effective. Having a lot of data but it being low
quality or not diverse will not improve the model's performance. Furthermore, too much data can
also cause problems.
 Overfitting: If the dataset is too small, the model may not have enough examples to learn from
and may overfit the training data. This means that the model will perform well on the training
data but poorly on new, unseen data.
Underfitting: If the dataset is too large, the model may be too complex and may not be able to
learn the underlying patterns in the data. This can lead to underfitting, where the model
performs poorly on both the training and test data.

In general, it's important to have a dataset that is large enough to provide the model with enough
examples to learn from, but not so large that it becomes computationally infeasible or takes too
long to train. There’s a sweet spot. Additionally, it's important to make sure that the data is diverse
and of high quality in order for it to be effective.

Common Infrastructure Mistakes In Machine and

Deep Learning

When working in machine learning and deep learning, mistakes are a part of the process. The
easiest mistakes to remedy are often the most expensive ones, though. Each AI project should be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the proper infrastructure for getting the best
results possible.

Sometimes simply upgrading certain components is sufficient, but other projects will require a trip
back to the drawing board to make sure everything integrates appropriately.
4. Working With Subpar Hardware
Deep learning models are required to process enormous amounts of data. This is their primary
function, put it simply. Because of this, many times older systems and older parts can't keep up
with the strain and break down under the stress of the sheer amount of data needed to be
processed for deep learning models.

Working with subpar hardware can have an impact on the performance of training your model due
to the limited computational resources, memory, parallelization, and storage. Gone are the days of
using hundreds of CPUs. The effectiveness of GPU computing for deep learning and machine
learning has given the modern day the prowess to parallelize the millions of computations needed
to train a robust model.

Large AI models also require a lot of memory to train especially on large datasets. Never skimp
out on memory since out-of-memory errors can haunt you when you’ve already begun training
and have to restart from scratch. Alongside data storage, you will also need ample space to store
your large dataset.

Mitigating these limitations on computational hardware is simple. Modernize your data center to
withstand the heaviest computations. You can also leverage pre-trained models from resources
like HuggingFace to get a headstart on developing a complex model and fine-tuning them.

Exxact Corporation specializes in providing GPU workstations and GPU servers at scale for
anyone at any stage of their deep learning research. Whether you’re a single researcher or in a
team, Exxact customizes systems to fit its user. Learn more about our Deep Learning Solutions
for more information.

5. Integration Errors
By the time an organization decides to upgrade to deep learning, they typically already have
machines in place they want to use or repurpose. However, it is challenging to incorporate more
recent deep learning techniques into older technology and systems, both physical systems and
data systems.

For the best integration strategy, maintain accurate interpretation and documentation because it
may be necessary to rework the hardware as well as the datasets used.

Implementing services like anomaly detection, predictive analysis, and ensemble modeling can be
made considerably simpler by working with an implementation and integration partner. Keep this
in mind when getting started to avoid this common machine learning and deep learning mistake.
Machine and Deep Learning Output Mistakes to
Avoid

Once the datasets have been prepared and the infrastructure is solid, we can start generating
outputs from the deep learning model. This is an easy spot to get caught up in one of the most
common machine learning and deep learning mistakes: not paying close enough attention to the
outputs.

6. Only Using One Model Over and Over Again

It might seem like a good idea to train one deep-learning model and then wash, rinse, and repeat.
However, it’s actually counterintuitive!

It is by training several iterations and variations of deep learning models that we gather
statistically significant data that can actually be used in research. For example, if a user is training
one model and only uses that model over and over again, then it will create a standard set of
results that will be expected time and time again. This might come at the expense of introducing a
variety of datasets into the research which might give more valuable insights.

Instead, when multiple deep learning models are used and trained on a variety of datasets, then
we can see different factors that another model might have missed or interpreted differently. For
deep learning models like neural networks, this is how the algorithms learn to create more variety
in their outputs instead of the same or similar outputs.

7. Trying to Make Your First Model Your Best Model

It can be tempting to create a single deep-learning model that can perform all necessary tasks
when first starting out. However, since different models are better at forecasting particular things,
this is typically a prescription for failure.

Decision trees, for instance, frequently perform well when forecasting categorical data if there isn't
a clear association between components. However, they are not very helpful when trying to tackle
regression issues or create numerical forecasts. On the other hand, logistic regression works
incredibly well when sifting through pure numerical data, but falls short when trying to predict
categories or classifications.

Iteration and variation are going to be the best tools to use for creating robust results. While it
might be tempting to build it once and reuse it, that is going to stagnate the results and can cause
users to neglect many other possible outputs!

Want to Know What Other Common

Mistakes to Avoid In Deep Learning?
Even those who have been developing machine learning and deep learning models can fall into
these common mistakes. If you are asking yourself how to avoid these common machine learning
and deep learning mistakes, then we would love to help!
Have any Questions?
Contact Us Today!

Related Posts

Deep Learning
Access Open Source LLMs Anywhere - Mobile LLMs with Ollama

April 25, 2024 12 min read

Deep Learning
Diffusion and Denoising - Explaining Text-to-Image Generative AI

March 29, 2024 15 min read

Deep Learning
Managing Python Dependencies with Poetry vs Conda & Pip

March 8, 2024 9 min read

Deep Learning
SXM vs PCIe: GPUs Best for Training LLMs like GPT-4

April 12, 2024 7 min read

Sign up for our newsletter.

Sign up chevron_right

Topics
deep learning machine learning ai
Have any questions?
Contact us todaychevron_right

Explore

EMLI AI POD
Deep Learning & AI
NVIDIA Powered Systems
AMD Powered Solutions

AMBER GPU Solutions

Relion for Cryo-EM
Resources

Blog
Case Studies

eBooks
Reference Architecture
Supported Software
Whitepapers
Connect

Contact Sales

Partner with Us
Get Support
Request a Return
Company

Why Exxact?

Our Customers
Our Partners
Careers
Press
 Sign up for our newsletter.

© 2024 Exxact Corporation | Privacy | Consent Preferences | Cookies