Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have focused on two main strategies, which we will refer to as supervised learning and unsupervised learning. Supervised learning requires you to give it lots of data with known answers that it can use to train its algorithms.

Unsupervised learning does not require this pre-existing knowledge. It looks at patterns in the data and learns how to organize the information itself.

Deep neural networks are a type of algorithm that fit into the category of “machine learning”. They apply advanced concepts from neuroscience and computer science to create their algorithms.

There is a lot of talk about AI today, but what most people don’t realize is that deep learning isn’t actually AI. Artificial general intelligent (AGI), also called strong AI or superintelligence, is still well beyond our reach. But deep learning is an extremely important part of creating AGI, so let’s take a closer look!

This article will go over the basics of both supervised and unsupervised learning, along with some insights into why they’re interesting. Then, I’ll discuss one cool application of deep learning and machine learning, and finally I’ll explain why understanding these concepts is important for aspiring AI researchers.

Definition of deep learning

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Defining deep neural networks is tricky because there are no clear boundaries between what constitutes a network that uses learning, a network that is learned from data, and a network that is both trained with learning and also learns from data.

A classic example of this is the feedforward neural netowrk. These nets have layers of processing nodes connected in such a way that each node receives input from one or more nodes in the previous layer and produces an output for another set of nodes in the next layer.

The term “feedforward” refers to the fact that information only flows through these connections forward — it does not flow back down a connection to use its output as new input. (Think about how when you learn something new your brain has to process all of this new knowledge by feeding it new information.)

That said, some researchers now refer to nets with this type of structure as convolutional neural networks (ConvNets) due to their similarity to biological neurons which also do not send feedback messages but instead focus on taking inputs and producing outputs based on those inputs.

History of machine learning

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Before we get into how deep neural networks work, let’s take a quick look at what makes AI so fascinating. You may have heard of artificial intelligence (AI) before, but it was not until 2012 when this term received its current definition. That is when the IFTF (International Federation for Technology Assessment) defined AI as an “agent system that works by systems of rules encoded in software and either supervised or unsupervised learned from examples”.

A few years later, Stanford University published a paper introducing the word ‘machine learning’ which described it similarly. This means that a computer program can learn without being explicitly programmed to do so. Rather than having a set goal, like taking courses online, ML programs are designed to find patterns in large datasets and then apply these patterns to new data.

Deep learning is one type of machine learning that has become very popular in recent years. It is referred to as NN (neural network) due to the way information is conveyed through multiple layers of neurons. These layers connect to each other, creating a complex structure that allows the algorithm to compare features across the entire dataset.

This article will go over the differences between deep learning and conventional machine learning, why they are important, and some applications of both.

History of deep learning

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Neural networks are not new! In fact, they have been around for decades under different names such as multi-layer perceptrons or feedforward neural networks. What changed was how these networks were trained and what types of problems they could be applied to.

In recent years though, engineers found ways to tweak the architecture and parameters of these networks to work better than before. These improved versions are now referred to as “deep” networks because of their many interconnected layers.

The defining feature of a deep network is that it can learn complex hierarchical patterns from data. For example, let’s say your goal is to predict whether someone will respond well to psychotherapy after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. You could build a simple logistic regression model that predicts if someone has bipolar disorder by checking some symptoms.

But even if you controlled for all the possible confounding factors, people’s personalities change over time so it would be difficult to determine if this response is due to the disease or personal changes caused by the illness. A person might feel depressed one day but then feel happier later in therapy, for instance.

A deeper model would take into account additional characteristics like personality traits and underlying psychological issues, making the prediction more accurate. Unfortunately, there are an infinite number of potential models you could create so it becomes impossible to know which ones worked until you test them.

Differences between ML and DL

There is some confusion as to what makes something an “artificial intelligence” or “machine learning” technique. This can be confusing because there are sometimes people that use the term AI loosely, meaning any system that uses neural networks.

However, this isn’t really machine learning anymore; it’s more like using logistic regression in computer science. A logistic regression algorithm learns by comparing past experiences with current situations, just like how humans learn!

Neural networks were once considered artificial intelligence due to their internal structure and process of functioning, but today they have been shown to not require this. This has led to many research studies incorporating features into systems that are now labeled deep neural nets or deep learning.

Deep learning applies concepts from neuroscience and psychology to create algorithms. These theories include things such as neuron communication, synaptic connections, and mirror neurons. Systems built off these structures are often referred to as being inspired by biological brains. You may have heard of examples such as convolutional neural nets before.

Applications of ML

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most popular buzzwords in recent years. Technically, AI is not new. We have been using it for some time now!

Early uses of AI include creating computer programs that mimic human thought processes. This technology is referred to as computational learning or neural network programming.

Neural networks are inspired by how we process information in our brains. When we learn something new, we connect different pieces of information together to form an understanding of what happened before. For example, when you were a kid, your parents would tell you about many important things like numbers and colors and then you would grow up being able to recognize them. It’s kind of like that!

Since neural networks contain organized sets of instructions, they can be programmed to perform specific tasks. In fact, early applications of AI involved computers performing simple mathematical calculations such as adding and subtracting.

Fast forward several decades and AIs are capable of doing much more than crunch numbers. They can understand natural language, manipulate images, and even take over certain functions within a software program or system. These advanced AIs are sometimes called machine learning (ML) systems.

Applications of DL

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have been focused on two things: solving complex, analytical problems through algorithms or systems that are designed to learn patterns from data, and creating machines that can perform specific tasks automatically. These applications are often referred to as AI-powered solutions or AI technologies.

A few areas where deep learning has had significant success include computer vision, natural language processing and understanding of speech and audio. Computer vision is the field of studying how computers process and recognize images and videos. For example, many companies use it to identify products online and create automated software for social media and chat apps.

Natural language processing looks at the way humans communicate via spoken words and phrases and uses this information to determine what content people mean when they talk. This technology is used in everything from optimizing search results to helping robots interact with users more effectively.

Audio analysis involves looking at sound waves for insights and patterns. Technology using this technique includes voice recognition and identification of unknown sounds.

Future of ML

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Recent developments in artificial intelligence have focused on two different strategies, which are sometimes referred to as deep learning and machine learning. While both aim to achieve similar results, they work towards it using very different approaches.

Deep learning is typically described as being “big picture” thinking, whereas most examples of traditional machine learning focus more on specific tasks that have been programmed before.

By incorporating advanced concepts such as neural networks into AI, however, software can now learn complex rules for making decisions on its own. This is why many refer to recent advances in AI as the field of deep learning.

Traditional example applications of machine learning include pattern recognition (such as face detection or speech understanding) and classification (groups items into categories). These types of algorithms are still used frequently, but research has moved onto other areas like natural language processing and predictive analytics.

What makes these technologies special is that instead of programming an algorithm yourself, you give it lots of data to learn from and let it figure out how to apply those lessons in new situations.

AI systems with this level of functionality are often called intelligent because of their ability to think beyond simple patterns and logical reasoning.

Future of DL

how deep learning is related to machine learning

Recent developments in deep learning have people talking about it as either the next big thing or, more likely, something that will still be around for some time. What makes this technology special is how much power it contains- not just in terms of tasks it can perform, but also how well it can learn as it performs these tasks.

Deep neural networks are an extremely efficient way to use machine learning. This efficiency comes from two areas: they are very powerful, and they get better with experience (the network learns as you give it more data).

Because of this, there are many applications for deep learning. Some examples include computer vision, natural language processing, game development, and medical diagnosis and therapy.

What makes it different than other types of ML algorithms is that instead of using pre-defined functions to process input materials, it uses layers of mathematics to produce output material. These mathematical functions are referred to as activation functions because they activate outputs based on inputs.

The most famous example of this type of algorithm is probably backpropagation, which calculates error gradients by multiplying the difference between current output and target by the weights and then applying them to the previous layer’s output.

Caroline Shaw is a blogger and social media manager. She enjoys blogging about current events, lifehacks, and her experiences as a millennial working in New York.