As of Nov. 9, 2015, Google’s artificial intelligence engine TensorFlow is open sourced for use by any researchers or companies who wish to further artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
According to the company’s website, TensorFlow is described as “an open source software library for numerical computation using data flow graphs. Nodes in the graph represent mathematical operations, while the graph edges represent the multidimensional data arrays (tensors) communicated between them. The flexible architecture allows you to deploy computation to one or more CPUs or GPUs in a desktop, server, or mobile device with a single API.”
For anyone without a strong knowledge of computer science, TensorFlow software allows for advanced recognition of patterns and relationships, which enables it to make more advanced decisions based on the information that it receives.
The open sourcing of this technology can prove to be a game changer for artificial intelligence. Google has now opened the floodgates for new researchers to go forward and find out what this amazing technology can do.
Instead of just having a team working on AI technology, which Google will continue to do, there is now a monolithic-sized group of developers pushing TensorFlow to its limits. When new technology is hidden behind closed doors, and protected by large quantities of patents, the technology may develop more slowly than if it is allowed to be used by any individuals who are interested in implementing the software. Google has allowed for developers, who often have great minds but fewer financial resources, to try and come up with the perfect algorithm for TensorFlow.
With the announcement of TensorFlow becoming open sourced also arrives the news that it has become smarter, more reliable, and more flexible than ever before. These improvements, coupled with the large amount of new users of TensorFlow, allow for the software to continually improve and evolve.
While the open sourcing of TensorFlow is beneficial for researchers and other companies, it also greatly benefits Google. As time goes by, and more and more companies adapt their technology to use the TensorFlow software, it will soon become an industry piece of software to use. This will allow Google to focus resources on other products, as other companies continue to improve their TensorFlow software. It will also allow Google to find out which smaller companies will be beneficial to purchase or amalgamate into the vast network of subsidiary companies under Google.
While AI technology improves, and the concept of true artificial intelligence appears to be getting closer and closer, Google has made itself a key player in the artificial intelligence technology industry.