Effective Knowledge Transfer for Multi-Task Recommendation Models

TL;DR

This paper introduces EKTM, a novel method for multi-task recommendation models that improves conversion rate prediction by transferring knowledge across related tasks, validated through extensive experiments and real-world deployment.

Contribution

The paper presents a new EKTM approach with router and transmitter modules for effective knowledge transfer in multi-task recommendation models, outperforming existing methods.

Findings

EKTM outperforms state-of-the-art methods on benchmark datasets.

Online A/B testing shows a 3.93% uplift in eCPM.

EKTM is fully deployed in large-scale industrial settings.

Abstract

The conversion rate (CVR) is a crucial metric for evaluating the effectiveness of platforms, as it quantifies the alignment of content with audience preferences. However, the limited nature of customers' conversion actions presents a significant challenge for training ranking models effectively. In this paper, we propose an Effective Knowledge Transfer method for Multi-task Recommendation Models (EKTM). This method enables the ranking model to learn from diverse user behaviors, thereby enhancing performance through the transfer of knowledge across distinct yet related tasks. Each specific CVR task can directly benefit from the insights provided by other tasks. To achieve this, we first introduce a router module that integrates and disseminates knowledge across tasks. Subsequently, each CVR task is equipped with a transmitter module that facilitates the transformation of knowledge from the router. Additionally, we propose an enhanced module to ensure that the transferred knowledge benefit the original task learning. Extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed method outperforms existing state-of-the-art approaches. Online A/B testing on a commercial platform has validated the effectiveness of the EKTM algorithm in large-scale industrial settings, resulting in a 3.93% uplift in effective Cost Per Mille (eCPM). The algorithm has since been fully deployed across two of the platform's main-traffic scenarios.