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Machine learning (ML) algorithms are techniques that allow computers to learn from the data without being explicitly programmed. ML techniques consist of hyperparameters that typically influence prediction accuracy, hence requiring tuning. In this study, we systematically evaluate the performance of the genetic algorithm (GA) technique in tuning ML hyperparameters compared to three other common tuning techniques i.e. grid search (GS), random search (RS), and bayesian optimization (BO). While previous studies explored the potential of metaheuristics techniques such as GA in tuning ML models, a systematic comparison with other commonly mentioned techniques is currently lacking. Results indicate that GA slightly outperformed other methods in terms of optimality due to its ability to pick any continuous value within the range. However, apart from GS which took the longest, it was observed that GA is quite a …