👉 Association engineering is a technique used in machine learning, particularly within the realm of neural networks, to improve model performance by creating meaningful associations between input features and target outputs. It involves designing and constructing specific connections or pathways within the network that enhance the model's ability to capture and utilize relevant patterns in the data. This can be achieved through various methods such as adding new layers, modifying existing ones, or introducing novel connections that facilitate more effective information flow and feature interaction. By strategically engineering these associations, the network can learn more robust and discriminative representations, leading to better generalization and predictive accuracy on unseen data. This process is crucial for tackling complex tasks where raw data might not inherently convey the necessary relationships or dependencies.