Batch-CAM: Introduction to better reasoning in convolutional deep learning models

Abstract

Deep learning opacity often impedes deployment in high-stakes domains. We propose a training framework that aligns model focus with class-representative features without requiring pixel-level annotations. To this end, we introduce Batch-CAM, a vectorised implementation of Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping that integrates directly into the training loop with minimal computational overhead. We propose two regularisation terms: a Prototype Loss, which aligns individual-sample attention with the global class average, and a Batch-CAM Loss, which enforces consistency within a training batch. These are evaluated using L1, L2, and SSIM metrics. Validated on MNIST and Fashion-MNIST using ResNet18 and ConvNeXt-V2, our method generates significantly more coherent and human-interpretable saliency maps compared to baselines. While maintaining competitive classification accuracy, the framework successfully suppresses spurious feature activation, as evidenced by qualitative reconstruction analysis. Batch-CAM appears to offer a scalable pathway for training intrinsically interpretable models by leveraging batch-level statistics to guide feature extraction, effectively bridging the gap between predictive performance and explainability.