You can now download the source code that sparked the AI boom
1 min read
Summary
In a short space of time, AI has gone from being a niche, theoretical technology to touching nearly every corner of people’s lives, and AlexNet played a crucial role in this development.
Released in 2012, AlexNet, a convolutional neural network, proved that deep learning had the potential to outperform traditional computer vision methods.
Responsible for breakthroughs in everything from facial recognition to autonomous vehicles, AlexNet’s potential has also fuelled fears of widespread job displacement and facilitated questionable developments such as deepfakes and automated surveillance.
The recent release of the codebase on GitHub gives a fuller picture of how the network worked, giving researchers and enthusiasts a chance to look under the hood of a key moment in the history of AI.
While it may be some time before the implications of releasing the AlexNet code are fully understood, it is likely to be viewed in the future as a moment akin to releasing the code for the ENIAC or Babbage’s Difference Engine.
