A Comment on: "Fisher–Schultz Lecture: Generic Machine Learning Inference on Heterogeneous Treatment Effects in Randomized Experiments, With an Application to Immunization in India" by Victor Chernozhukov, Mert Demirer, Esther Duflo, and Iván Fernández‐Val

We examine the split‐sample robust inference (SSRI) methodology introduced by Chernozhukov, Demirer, Duflo, and Fernandez‐Val for quantifying uncertainty in heterogeneous treatment effect estimates produced by machine learning (ML) models. Although SSRI properly accounts for the additional variabili...

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Published in:Econometrica Vol. 93; no. 4; pp. 1165 - 1171
Main Authors: Imai, Kosuke, Li, Michael Lingzhi
Format: Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Jul2025
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2025
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
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        atl: A Comment on: "Fisher–Schultz Lecture: Generic Machine Learning Inference on Heterogeneous Treatment Effects in Randomized Experiments, With an Application to Immunization in India" by Victor Chernozhukov, Mert Demirer, Esther Duflo, and Iván Fernández‐Val
      aug:
        au:
          Imai, Kosuke
          Li, Michael Lingzhi
        affil:
          Department of Government and Department of Statistics, Harvard University
          Technology and Operations Management, Harvard Business School
      su:
        India
        Randomized controlled trials
        Machine learning
        Treatment effect heterogeneity
        Inferential statistics
        Optimization algorithms
        Immunology
        Ensemble learning
        Randomization (Statistics)
      sug:
        subj:
          Randomized controlled trials
          India
          Machine learning
          Treatment effect heterogeneity
          Inferential statistics
          Optimization algorithms
          Immunology
          Ensemble learning
          Randomization (Statistics)
      keyword:
        confidence intervals
        GATES
        Heterogeneous treatment effects
        machine learning
        randomization inference
        confidence intervals
        GATES
        Heterogeneous treatment effects
        machine learning
        randomization inference
      ab: We examine the split‐sample robust inference (SSRI) methodology introduced by Chernozhukov, Demirer, Duflo, and Fernandez‐Val for quantifying uncertainty in heterogeneous treatment effect estimates produced by machine learning (ML) models. Although SSRI properly accounts for the additional variability due to sample splitting, its computational cost becomes prohibitive with complex ML models. We propose an alternative approach based on randomization inference (RI) that preserves the broad applicability of SSRI while eliminating the need for repeated sample splitting. Leveraging cross‐fitting and design‐based inference, the RI procedure yields valid confidence intervals with substantially reduced computational burden. Simulation studies demonstrate that the RI method preserves the statistical efficiency of SSRI while scaling to much larger applications and more complex settings.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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