Operationalizing Machine Learning: An Interview Study
Operationalizing machine learning (mle) pipelines in production requires a continual loop of (i) data collection and labeling, (ii) experimentation to improve ml performance, (iii)evaluation throughout a multi-staged deployment process, and (iv) monitoring of performance drops in production.
We conducted semi-structured ethnographic interviews with 18 machine learning engineers workingacross many applications, including chatbots, autonomous vehicles, and finance.
Our interviews expose three variables that govern success for a production mledeployment : velocity, validation, and versioning.
We summarize common practices for successful mle experimentation, deployment, and sustaining production performance.
We discuss interviewees'pain points and anti-patterns, with implications for tool design.
Authors
Shreya Shankar, Rolando Garcia, Joseph M. Hellerstein, Aditya G. Parameswaran