Optimizing User Recommendations with Variational Autoencoders: Insights from MovieLens-1M and BookCrossing Datasets

Recommender systems utilize algorithms and data to predict user preferences based on their past choices. While these systems can be highly accurate, this increased accuracy can sometimes lead to predictability and monotony. In the realm of big data, recommender systems are both prevalent and valuable. Research on these systems has intensified in recent years, accompanied by a growing number of datasets. This paper examines the application of Variational Autoencoder (VAE)-based recommender systems using the MovieLens 1M and BookCrossing datasets. The study primarily evaluates the performance of the VAE model using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) as the key metric. The VAE model was trained on these datasets to predict user preferences and generate personalized recommendations. Experimental results revealed an RMSE of less than 1 for both datasets, indicating the model’s proficiency in accurately estimating user ratings for items. These findings suggest that VAE-based recommender systems are promising for enhancing recommendation accuracy and personalization. This research contributes to the understanding of VAE models within the context of recommender systems and provides insights for future research and potential improvements in this field.