What sort of programs are artificial neural networks used for?

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are computational models designed to recognize patterns and solve problems by mimicking aspects of biological brain function. They are used in applications where traditional algorithms struggle, particularly tasks involving large datasets, nonlinear relationships, or unstructured data. Three common categories include computer vision, natural language processing (NLP), and predictive modeling, each with distinct use cases that leverage ANNs’ ability to learn from examples.

In computer vision, ANNs excel at processing and interpreting visual data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), a specialized type of ANN, are widely used for image classification, object detection, and facial recognition. For example, self-driving cars use CNNs to identify pedestrians, traffic signs, and lane markings from camera feeds. Medical imaging systems employ similar techniques to detect anomalies in X-rays or MRIs. These networks learn hierarchical features—edges, textures, shapes—directly from pixel data, eliminating the need for manual feature engineering.

For language-related tasks, ANNs power applications like chatbots, translation services, and sentiment analysis. Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and transformer-based models like BERT process sequential data, making them effective for understanding context in text or speech. A developer might use a pre-trained NLP model to summarize documents, generate code snippets, or filter spam emails. Voice assistants like Alexa or Siri rely on ANNs to convert speech to text and interpret user intent. These models often require training on vast text corpora to capture linguistic nuances.

ANNs also drive predictive analytics in finance, healthcare, and recommendation systems. Feedforward networks predict outcomes like stock prices, disease risk, or customer churn by identifying patterns in structured data. Streaming platforms like Netflix use recommendation engines built with ANNs to suggest content based on viewing history. In industrial settings, ANNs forecast equipment failures by analyzing sensor data. Frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch simplify implementing these models, offering tools for training, optimization, and deployment. Developers often integrate ANNs into larger systems via APIs or embedded inference engines.