Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have attracted much attention due to their potential to improve performance of computer systems via neural networks. Neural networks are inspired by how neurons work in our brains, where each neuron is connected to other neurons to help process information.
A major difference between traditional machine learning and deep learning is that while ML models can be very powerful when trained with sufficient data, they typically require large amounts of time to train. This makes them impractical for most applications because you would need an extremely long amount of time to use the model!
With deep learning, however, this isn’t necessarily the case. That’s because it goes beyond just using linear or nonlinear functions as input layers to create more complex structures called “neural networks.”
These networks are structured similarly to the way human beings learn and process information, making it possible to apply pre-existing knowledge to make better predictions than before.
This article will go into greater detail about what makes deep neural networks special compared to simpler AI techniques like classical machine learning. But first, let us look at some examples of both types of algorithms.
Examples of classic machine learning and deep learning
Traditional machine learning involves creating predictive modeling strategies through different feature extraction methods and mathematical equations.
For example, companies use these models to predict if you are likely to buy something based off your past purchases, online shopping patterns, and so forth.
History of deep learning
Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have been referred to as “deep learning” or sometimes just “learning algorithms.” These terms refer to strategies that use very sophisticated mathematical functions, called neural networks, to teach computers how to accomplish tasks.
Neural networks were first proposed in 1943 by German mathematician Walter Heider at Cornell University. In recent years, they have become one of the most effective ways to train AI software. They work by using interconnections between multiple layers to organize large amounts of data into patterns and relationships that can be used to predict outcomes.
These systems are often described as having features inspired by neurons in our brain. Just like real neurons, some parts of a deep-neuron network learn simple rules or behaviors, while other parts connect up with each other to create more complex routines.
A key difference is that whereas human brains are limited to a few types of neuronal connections, digital machines can combine any type of neuron cluster together to achieve their goals.
Differences between deep and classical learning
Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have been characterized as “deep learning” or, more commonly, just “neural networks.” Technically speaking, this is not quite correct.
Neural networks are an example of what we refer to as supervised machine learning. Supervised means that the algorithm learns how to perform its task by looking at examples of performing the tasks and then using those lessons to teach itself to do the same thing.
Deep neural nets fit into this category because they use many layers to learn from data. Each layer performs simple mathematical operations on the input it receives before passing it onto the next one. These layers can be very complex — for instance, some play around with different features of the input to determine whether it is part of the shape of the nose or chin.
However, there is no requirement that every layer does something meaningful! In fact, researchers have found ways to make nets with lots of useless layers where each one simply adds noise to the training dataset.
Types of deep learning
Another term for deep neural networks is convolutional neural network (ConvNet). These are not the only type of deep learning, but they have become very popular because they work really well in certain applications.
A ConvNet is a set of layers that can learn how to recognize objects or patterns from a dataset. Rather than having every layer look at an entire image as input, some layers may be designed to focus on a small area of the picture.
This allows the net to pick up on fine details that would otherwise get lost. For example, when you take a picture of someone’s face, your brain automatically focuses on picking out facial features like eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.
That this is done naturally helps computers! And so far, there has been no reason why these systems could not be built using similar concepts. That is what makes it powerful.
Applications of deep learning
Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have ushered in an era of so-called “deep learning”. This new technique is not machine learning, but rather it uses concepts from another field to create algorithms that learn for yourself.
Deep neural networks are computer programs that mimic how our brains work. These networks use multiple layers to process input data before producing a result.
For example, let’s say your goal is to predict if someone goes shopping after they buy food at a grocery store. You could design a system that looks at pictures of people buying groceries as inputs, and then determine whether or not they go shopping later by using pre-trained models that identify people who tend to shop.
A trained model would be able to recognize patterns related to people buying food and groceries, and determine when those patterns match up with people going shopping within a certain period of time. If it did, the model would predict that person will go shopping soon.
This type of AI was recently used to make predictions about what stocks an investor should purchase based on past stock performance and information gathered online. A company designed this software, and you use it without knowing it!
There are some concerns about these systems being built with only positive intentions, though. Some experts warn that advanced technology can be abused for unethical purposes.
On top of that, there is no way to tell how much bias may already exist in the modeled assumptions.
Deep learning architectures
Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought to light an exciting new technology called deep neural networks or, more commonly known as deep learning.
Deep learning is not machine learning; it is instead a type of algorithm that uses multiple layers to solve complex problems. Layer upon layer of software processes data before outputting results, creating algorithms that learn how to perform specific tasks by exposing them to large amounts of data.
By having repeated applications of these algorithms, we can create systems that understand increasingly complicated patterns. For example, if you gave a computer a piece of paper with written information and asked it to recognize printed matter, it would run out of steam quickly!
That’s why computers still do limited things like search through databases for matching content or analyze pictures for features almost magically. But ask a computer to identify something printed on that paper and it will need some help.
It makes sense then that people are using this advanced pattern recognition method to design products and services that require AI functionality. You may have heard stories about companies using AI to diagnose skin diseases, predict natural disasters, or even take over the wheel for cars.
Neural networks
Neural networks are an exciting new tool in the field of machine learning. They have allowed for significant progress to be made in several areas, including computer vision and natural language processing.
In comparison to other ML algorithms, neural nets require more data to work effectively. This is because they learn how to recognize patterns by looking at examples from the given problem domain.
By having to look at more examples, it means taking longer to train the net, but once trained, they can perform much better than something that has been tuned to specific examples.
This also implies that you will need to use this algorithm later when it comes time to apply its knowledge, making it more valuable overall. You get quality output faster due to the way they function, but it may take slightly longer to achieve that speed goal.
Gradient descent
In gradient-based learning, computers find optimal solutions by taking small steps along an uphill slope towards the solution. This algorithm is very popular in the field of machine learning where it is often referred to as stochastic gradient descent (SGD).
Stochastic means that the computer will not always take the same step, or update the equation the same way, every time it runs the program. This allows the software to “search” for different solutions at each stage, which can sometimes lead to improved results.
By having these variations, the software becomes more robust and able to learn from past mistakes. Because the system has memory, it does not need to be reset like with some algorithms such as back propagation.
This article will go into detail about how SGD works, but first let us look at an example. Let’s say you wanted to classify cats and dogs. You would probably use a set number of features (things like hair color, fur texture, etc) to determine if a sample was a cat or dog.
After collecting all this data, your model would then compare all the samples against each other using those features. Once everything is matched up, you would then calculate the average value of each feature for both groups and make a prediction based off of that.
With binary classes (cat vs. dog, positive/negative versus yes/no), you would simply choose the class with the most votes.
Confidence intervals
One of the most fundamental concepts in machine learning is confidence. A prediction with high confidence means that the model has strong faith in its outcome, while a low-confidence prediction may be less certain.
In statistical terms, this concept is called a posterior probability or likelihood. The greater the probability, the more likely the predicted result is true, and vice versa.
A common example is predicting whether someone will walk past a store before buying something. If you never see anyone go into the store, then your predictive algorithm can’t assign much importance to it, because there’s no evidence that someone did earlier. Similarly, if everyone always goes into the store, then it doesn’t make sense to include the factor when calculating probabilities.
By incorporating both factors, however, computational models can weigh the importance of each one, resulting in a probabilistic output.