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Deep learning is a type of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) that imitates the way humans gain certain types of knowledge. Deep learning is an important element of data science, which includes statistics and predictive modeling. It is extremely beneficial to data scientists who are tasked with collecting, analyzing and interpreting large amounts of data; deep learning makes this process faster and easier. At its simplest, deep learning can be thought of as a way to automate predictive analytics. While traditional machine learning algorithms are linear, deep learning algorithms are stacked in a hierarchy of increasing complexity and abstraction.

Computer programs that use deep learning go through much the same process as the toddler learning to identify things around him. Each algorithm in the hierarchy applies a nonlinear transformation to its input and uses what it learns to create a statistical model as output. Iterations continue until the output has reached an acceptable level of accuracy. The number of processing layers through which data must pass is what inspired the label deep.

Unlike the toddler, who will take weeks or even months to understand the concept of eg. bed, a computer program that uses deep learning algorithms can be shown a training set and sort through millions of images, accurately identifying which images have beds in them within a few minutes.

To achieve an acceptable level of accuracy, deep learning programs require access to immense amounts of training data and processing power, neither of which were easily available to programmers until the era of big data and cloud computing. Because deep learning programming can create complex statistical models directly from its own iterative output, it is able to create accurate predictive models from large quantities of unlabeled, unstructured data. This is important as the internet of things (IoT) continues to become more pervasive because most of the data humans and machines create is unstructured and is not labeled.

Deep learning examples

Because deep learning models process information in ways similar to the human brain, they can be applied to many tasks people do. Deep learning is currently used in most common image recognition tools, natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition software. These tools are starting to appear in applications as diverse as self-driving cars and language translation services.

Use cases today for deep learning include all types of big data analytics applications, especially those focused on NLP, language translation, medical diagnosis, stock market trading signals, network security and image recognition.

Specific fields in which deep learning is currently being used include the following:

• Customer experience (CX). Deep learning models are already being used for chatbots. And, as it continues to mature, deep learning is expected to be implemented in various businesses to improve CX and increase customer satisfaction.
• Text generation. Machines are being taught the grammar and style of a piece of text and are then using this model to automatically create a completely new text matching the proper spelling, grammar and style of the original text.
• Aerospace and military. Deep learning is being used to detect objects from satellites that identify areas of interest, as well as safe or unsafe zones for troops.
  Industrial automation. Deep learning is improving worker safety in environments like factories and warehouses by providing services that automatically detect when a worker or object is getting too close to a machine.
• Adding color. Color can be added to black-and-white photos and videos using deep learning models. In the past, this was an extremely time-consuming, manual process.
• Medical research. Cancer researchers have started implementing deep learning into their practice as a way to automatically detect cancer cells.
• Computer vision. Deep learning has greatly enhanced computer vision, providing computers with extreme accuracy for object detection and image classification, restoration and segmentation.

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You can read more about Deep Learning here.

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