Decentralized Model Selection for Test-Time Adaptation in Heterogeneous Connected Systems

Traditional centralized model training assumes that data samples are readily available and can be processed without constraints. In contrast, decentralized machine learning (DML) addresses the limitation by collaborative model training and inference directly on distributed data sources. The transformation from data centralization to decentralization helps comply with data regulations and improves system scalability with reduced reliance on cloud servers. However, a tradeoff between model personalization and generalization exists: the fine-tuning of local training data distribution sacrifices model generalization on the testing data distribution that differs from the training data distribution. To improve the tradeoff, we propose a DML framework that can inherently make model personalization and generalization easier by selecting a model among multiple ones judiciously. We develop a scalable selector for model selection and use blockchain to achieve model consensus. The personalized model selector is then proposed for test-time adaptation. Using computer simulations, we show that our method not only outperforms competitive personalization benchmarks but also generalizes well for new data distributions with various shifts.