What is a proxy labels?

Data used to approximate labels not directly available in a dataset. For example, suppose you must train a model to predict employee stress level. Your dataset contains a lot of predictive features but doesn't contain a label named stress level. Undaunted, you pick "workplace accidents" as a proxy label for stress level. After all, employees under high stress get into more accidents than calm employees. Or do they? Maybe workplace accidents actually rise and fall for multiple reasons. As a second example, suppose you want is it raining? to be a Boolean label for your dataset, but your dataset doesn't contain rain data. If photographs are available, you might establish pictures of people carrying umbrellas as a proxy label for is it raining? Is that a good proxy label? Possibly, but people in some cultures may be more likely to carry umbrellas to protect against sun than the rain. Proxy labels are often imperfect. When possible, choose actual labels over proxy labels. That said, when an actual label is absent, pick the proxy label very carefully, choosing the least horrible proxy label candidate. See Datasets: Labels in Machine Learning Crash Course for more information.

Practitioners refer to proxy labels when building, training, or evaluating machine learning systems. It appears in research papers, product documentation, and technical discussions about AI capabilities and limitations.