How do you communicate machine learning results to non-technical stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you start preparing your report or presentation, understand who you are talking to and what they care about. What is their background, their level of expertise, and their goals? What are the main questions they have and the key decisions they need to make based on your analysis? How much detail do they need and how much time do they have? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, choose the right language, and focus on the most relevant and impactful results.

2 Simplify your methods

Machine learning algorithms can be complex and technical, but you don't need to explain every step and parameter to your non-technical stakeholders. Instead, you should simplify your methods and focus on the big picture. What is the problem you are trying to solve and what is the data you are using? What is the main logic and intuition behind your algorithm and how does it work? What are the assumptions and limitations of your approach and how did you validate it? Use familiar terms, avoid jargon, and use examples to illustrate your points.

3 Visualize your results

One of the best ways to communicate machine learning results is to use visualizations. Visualizations can help you show patterns, trends, relationships, and outliers in your data and your predictions. They can also help you compare different scenarios, models, or outcomes and highlight the main takeaways. Choose the right type of visualization for your data and your message, such as charts, graphs, maps, or tables. Make sure your visualizations are clear, accurate, and consistent, and use labels, titles, captions, and colors to guide your audience.

5 Anticipate questions

No matter how well you communicate your machine learning results, you will likely face some questions from your non-technical stakeholders. They may want to know more about your data, methods, results, or implications. You should anticipate these questions and prepare your answers in advance. Be ready to admit when you don't know something or when you need more time or information to answer. Don't be defensive or dismissive of their questions, but rather, use them as an opportunity to clarify or demonstrate your expertise.