What is a Deep Learning?

Deep learning is an artificial intelligence (AI) technique inspired by the human brain that enables computers to process data and identify complex patterns in images, text, sounds, and other data types. With the ability to generate accurate insights and predictions, deep learning models can automate tasks that previously required human intelligence, such as image description and sound file transcription.

Artificial intelligence (AI) strives to enable computers to think and learn in ways similar to humans. One of the key technologies powering many AI applications is deep learning, which enables accurate recognition of complex patterns in images, text, sounds, and other data. Deep learning is widely used in a range of everyday products, including:

Deep learning is a crucial aspect of various emerging technologies like self-driving cars and virtual reality. It’s a method in artificial intelligence that helps computers learn and think like humans do. Deep learning models, which are computer files trained using algorithms, can recognize patterns in data, making them useful for automating tasks that typically require human intelligence. Many businesses use deep learning models to analyse data and make predictions in various applications.

Deep learning is a highly versatile technology with a wide range of applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, electronics, medical research, and more. Here are some specific examples of how deep learning is being used to drive innovation and improve efficiency across industries:

These use cases of deep learning can be broadly categorized into computer vision, speech recognition, natural language processing (NLP), and recommendation engines, demonstrating the versatility of this technology across different applications.

Computer vision is an area of artificial intelligence that enables computers to extract insights and information from images and videos using deep learning techniques. This technology has numerous practical applications, including:

Speech recognition, enabled by deep learning models, can understand human speech despite differences in patterns, pitch, tone, language, and accent. This technology is used by virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and automatic transcription software to accomplish various tasks, including the following:

These applications fall under the category of natural language processing (NLP).  Deep learning algorithms enable computers to extract insights and meaning from text data and documents.  The capability to analyze human-created text has numerous applications, including the following functions:

Applications that utilise deep learning techniques can track user activity and provide personalized recommendations to enhance user experiences. By analysing the behaviour of various users, these applications can help them discover new products or services. Major media and entertainment companies, such as Netflix, Fox and Peacock, leverage deep learning to offer personalised video recommendations to their users.

Deep learning algorithms are modelled after the human brain and consist of neural networks. Just as the human brain contains interconnected neurons that process information, deep learning neural networks are made up of layers of artificial neurons that work together to learn and process data.

These artificial neurons, or nodes, use mathematical calculations to process information. Through the use of artificial neural networks, deep learning algorithms are capable of solving complex problems.

The components of a deep neural network are the following:

Deep learning is a specialized area within the broader field of machine learning. It involves the use of sophisticated algorithms that are designed to make traditional machine learning techniques more efficient. One of the major drawbacks of traditional machine learning methods is that they require a significant amount of human effort to train the software. For instance, in the case of animal image recognition, the following steps are necessary:

To improve the accuracy of the results, it is essential to enhance the dataset by labelling additional images. This process is commonly known as supervised learning. The accuracy of the results can only be improved when the dataset is diverse and extensive enough. For example, if the algorithm is more proficient in recognizing black cats than white ones, it may be due to the dataset having more images of black cats. In such a scenario, you will need to label more images of white cats and retrain the machine learning models.

A deep learning network has the following benefits over traditional machine learning.

Efficient processing of unstructured data

Processing unstructured data, such as text documents, can be challenging for machine learning methods. This is because the training dataset can have infinite variations, making it difficult to account for all possible scenarios. However, deep learning models can effectively comprehend unstructured data and make general observations without manual feature extraction.

For example, a neural network can recognize that the following two input sentences convey the same meaning:

Can you tell me how to make the payment?

How do I transfer money?

Deep learning applications are capable of analysing vast amounts of data more profoundly, often revealing new insights that the model was not explicitly trained for. For instance, consider a deep learning model designed to analyze consumer purchases. The model may have data only for the items you have already bought.

However, the artificial neural network can suggest new items that you haven’t bought before by comparing your purchasing patterns to those of other similar customers, thereby providing personalized recommendations.

Deep learning models are capable of learning and improving over time based on user behaviour, without requiring vast amounts of labelled datasets. For instance, consider a neural network that analyses your typing behaviour and automatically corrects or suggests words as you type. Suppose it was initially trained in the English language and can spell-check English words. However, if you frequently type non-English words such as “danke” the neural network automatically learns and suggests corrections for these words too.

Volatile datasets, such as loan repayment amounts in a bank, often have significant variations. However, deep learning neural networks can categorize and sort this data effectively. For example, by analyzing financial transactions, a neural network can flag potentially fraudulent transactions for detection, thus improving the overall security of the system.

While deep learning is a powerful technology, its practical implementation poses certain challenges due to its relative newness.

Training deep learning algorithms on vast amounts of high-quality data results in better accuracy. However, even a single mistake or outlier in the input dataset can significantly impact the deep learning process. For example, in the animal image recognition example, a deep learning model might classify an airplane as a turtle if non-animal images were mistakenly introduced into the dataset.

To avoid such inaccuracies, it is crucial to clean and preprocess large amounts of data before training deep learning models. Preprocessing input data can be storage-intensive and requires significant data storage capacity.

Deep learning algorithms are computationally demanding and require infrastructure with adequate compute capacity to function correctly. Without the necessary computing resources, deep learning algorithms may take an extended period to process results.

Leveraging cloud infrastructure can address many of the challenges associated with running deep learning algorithms. By utilizing deep learning in the cloud, you can design, develop, and train deep learning applications at an accelerated pace.

Accelerated training of deep learning models can be achieved by utilizing clusters of GPUs and CPUs to perform the complex mathematical operations required by your neural networks. The resulting models can then be deployed to process vast amounts of data and generate increasingly relevant results.

The cloud provides an array of on-demand resources, offering virtually unlimited hardware capabilities to tackle deep learning models of any size. Neural networks can leverage multiple processors to seamlessly and efficiently distribute workloads across different processor types and quantities.