# Protecting Feed-Forward Networks from Adversarial Attacks Using Predictive Coding

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00222 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.00222/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 16 of its 31 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 31 Oct 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 16 of 16)

- [Explaining and Harnessing Adversarial Examples](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6572/) (2014)
- [Towards Deep Learning Models Resistant to Adversarial Attacks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.06083/) (2017)
- [Intriguing properties of neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1312.6199/) (2013)
- [Adversarial examples in the physical world](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1607.02533/) (2016)
- [Theoretically Principled Trade-off between Robustness and Accuracy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1901.08573/) (2019)
- [DeepFool: a simple and accurate method to fool deep neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.04599/) (2015)
- [The Limitations of Deep Learning in Adversarial Settings](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.07528/) (2015)
- [Universal adversarial perturbations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.08401/) (2016)
- [Evasion Attacks against Machine Learning at Test Time](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1708.06131/) (2017)
- [Distillation as a Defense to Adversarial Perturbations against Deep Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.04508/) (2015)
- [Adversarial Examples Are Not Easily Detected: Bypassing Ten Detection Methods](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.07263/) (2017)
- [Generating Adversarial Examples with Adversarial Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1801.02610/) (2018)
- [Direct Feedback Alignment Provides Learning in Deep Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1609.01596/) (2016)
- [Predictive Coding Approximates Backprop along Arbitrary Computation Graphs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.04182/) (2020)
- [How Important is Weight Symmetry in Backpropagation?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1510.05067/) (2015)
- [Failure Modes in Machine Learning Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.11034/) (2019)

## Abstract (arXiv)

An adversarial example is a modified input image designed to cause a Machine Learning (ML) model to make a mistake; these perturbations are often invisible or subtle to human observers and highlight vulnerabilities in a model's ability to generalize from its training data. Several adversarial attacks can create such examples, each with a different perspective, effectiveness, and perceptibility of changes. Conversely, defending against such adversarial attacks improves the robustness of ML models in image processing and other domains of deep learning. Most defence mechanisms require either a level of model awareness, changes to the model, or access to a comprehensive set of adversarial examples during training, which is impractical. Another option is to use an auxiliary model in a preprocessing manner without changing the primary model. This study presents a practical and effective solution -- using predictive coding networks (PCnets) as an auxiliary step for adversarial defence. By seamlessly integrating PCnets into feed-forward networks as a preprocessing step, we substantially bolster resilience to adversarial perturbations. Our experiments on MNIST and CIFAR10 demonstrate the remarkable effectiveness of PCnets in mitigating adversarial examples with about 82% and 65% improvements in robustness, respectively. The PCnet, trained on a small subset of the dataset, leverages its generative nature to effectively counter adversarial efforts, reverting perturbed images closer to their original forms. This innovative approach holds promise for enhancing the security and reliability of neural network classifiers in the face of the escalating threat of adversarial attacks.