1. What is artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be explained as machines behaving intelligently by problem solving or completing tasks. It is a very broad subject that involves computer science, cognitive science, mathematics, philosophy, neuroscience, linguistics and many more.
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Interested in learning about machine learning, artificial intelligence and deep learning? Check out these free resources online:
- fast.ai
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- Coursera
Machine learning, neural networks, and deep learning
Machine learning
Machine learning is what most people are referring to when talking about AI. It refers to any algorithm that improves over time without being explicitly programmed to. There are many examples of this, including evolutionary algorithms, Markov chains and neural networks.
Neural networks
Neural networks are algorithms, modelled after the human brain, that use a system of interconnected nodes called artificial neurons. This allows them to be trained, so that when given complex data, they can produce desired outputs. For example, let’s say we wanted a network that can recognize cats. We would give it two sets of images containing “cats” and “not cats”. Then neurons will do mathematical operations to the image and produce a first guess. This guess is usually incorrect, however the network then adjusts these calculations until it responds to features of the training data (such as tails or whiskers) and starts being correct more often. Once training is complete, the network can be given new images. It will then use those features it learned during training to calculate the likelihood that any given image is a cat.
Deep learning
More complex problems require more artificial neurons. These neurons are usually arranged into “layers”. When there’s many of these layers it is referred to as a “deep” neural network. These are harder to train, requiring more data, but they can do many more operations on inputs, making them better suited to complex tasks. This type of neural network is usually the kind you hear about playing board games, generating images or interpreting natural language.
But what *is* a Neural Network? | Deep learning, chapter 1 (YouTube, 19m13s) discusses the basics of what a neural network is and how deep learning occurs in machine learning.
