Deep Learning Data Analytics
Deep Learning is the foundation of some latest advancements in AI and Robotics. Create your own deep learning algorithm to perform some fascinating tasks like image classification with the help of sensor flow and Keras libraries.
This article is part of Demystifying AI, a series of posts that (try to) disambiguate the jargon and myths surrounding AI.
Around 2012, researchers at the University of Toronto used deep learning for the first time to win ImageNet, a popular computer image recognition competition, beating the best technique by a large margin. For those involved in the AI industry, this was a big deal, because computer vision, the discipline of enabling computers to understand the context of images, is one of the most challenging areas of artificial intelligence.
And naturally, like any other technology that creates a huge impact, deep learning became the focus of a hype cycle. Subsequently, deep learning pushed itself into the spotlight as the latest revolution in the artificial intelligence industry, and different companies and organizations started applying it to solve different problems (or pretend to apply it). Many companies started rebranding their products and services as using deep learning and advanced artificial intelligence. Others tried to use deep learning to solve problems that were beyond its scope.
Meanwhile, media outlets often wrote stories about AI and deep learning that were misinformed and were written by people who did not have proper understanding of how the technology works. Other, less reputable outlets used sensational headlines about AI to gather views and maximize ad profit. These too contributed to the hype surrounding deep learning.
And like every other hyped concept, deep learning faced a backlash. Six years later, Many experts believe that deep learning is overhyped, and it will eventually subside and possibly lead to another AI winter, a period where interest and funding in artificial intelligence will see a considerable decline.
Other prominent experts admit that deep learning has hit a wall, and this includes some of the researchers who were among the pioneers of deep learning and were involved in some of the most important achievements of the field.
But according to famous data scientist and deep learning researcher Jeremy Howard, the “deep learning is overhyped” argument is a bit— well—overhyped. Howard is the founder of fast.ai, a non-profit online deep learning course, and he has lots of experience teaching AI to people who do not have a heavy background in computer science.
Howard debunked many of the arguments that are being raised against deep learning in a speech he delivered at the USENIX Enigma Conference earlier this year. The entire video clarifies very well what exactly deep learning does and doesn’t do and helps you get a clear picture of what to expect from the field.
Here are a few key myths that Howard debunks.
Deep learning is just a fad—next year it’ll be something else
Many people think that deep learning has popped out of nowhere, and just as fast as it has appeared, it will go away.
“What you’re actually seeing in deep learning today is the result of decades of research, and those decades of research are finally getting to the point of actually giving state of the art results,” Howard explains.
The concept of artificial neural networks, the main component of deep learning algorithms, have existed for decades. The first neural network dates to the 1950s.