What is a neural network?

A neural network is a method in artificial intelligence (AI) that teaches computers to process data
in a way that is inspired by the human brain. It is a type of machine learning (ML) process,
called deep learning, that uses interconnected nodes or neurons in a layered structure that
resembles the human brain

What are neural networks used for?

Neural networks have several use cases across many industries, such as the following:

 Medical diagnosis by medical image classification

 Targeted marketing by social network filtering and behavioral data analysis
 Financial predictions by processing historical data of financial instruments
 Electrical load and energy demand forecasting
 Process and quality control
 Chemical compound identification

We give some of the important applications of neural networks below.

Computer vision

Computer vision is the ability of computers to extract information and insights from images and
videos. With neural networks, computers can distinguish and recognize images similar to
humans. Computer vision has several applications, such as the following:

 Visual recognition in self-driving cars so they can recognize road signs and other road users
 Content moderation to automatically remove unsafe or inappropriate content from image and
video archives
 Facial recognition to identify faces and recognize attributes like open eyes, glasses, and facial
hair
 Image labeling to identify brand logos, clothing, safety gear, and other image details

Speech recognition

Neural networks can analyze human speech despite varying speech patterns, pitch, tone,
language, and accent. Virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and automatic transcription software
use speech recognition to do tasks like these:
 Assist call center agents and automatically classify calls
 Convert clinical conversations into documentation in real time
 Accurately subtitle videos and meeting recordings for wider content reach

Natural language processing

Natural language processing (NLP) is the ability to process natural, human-created text. Neural
networks help computers gather insights and meaning from text data and documents. NLP has
several use cases, including in these functions:

 Automated virtual agents and chatbots

 Automatic organization and classification of written data
 Business intelligence analysis of long-form documents like emails and forms
 Indexing of key phrases that indicate sentiment, like positive and negative comments on social
media
 Document summarization and article generation for a given topic

How do neural networks work?

The human brain is the inspiration behind neural network architecture. Human brain cells, called
neurons, form a complex, highly interconnected network and send electrical signals to each other
to help humans process information. Similarly, an artificial neural network is made of artificial
neurons that work together to solve a problem. Artificial neurons are software modules, called
nodes, and artificial neural networks are software programs or algorithms that, at their core, use
computing systems to solve mathematical calculations.

Simple neural network architecture

A basic neural network has interconnected artificial neurons in three layers:

Input Layer

Information from the outside world enters the artificial neural network from the input layer.
Input nodes process the data, analyze or categorize it, and pass it on to the next layer.

Hidden Layer

Hidden layers take their input from the input layer or other hidden layers. Artificial neural
networks can have a large number of hidden layers. Each hidden layer analyzes the output from
the previous layer, processes it further, and passes it on to the next layer.
Output Layer

The output layer gives the final result of all the data processing by the artificial neural network. It
can have single or multiple nodes. For instance, if we have a binary (yes/no) classification
problem, the output layer will have one output node, which will give the result as 1 or 0.
However, if we have a multi-class classification problem, the output layer might consist of more
than one output node.

What is a Biological Neural Network?

A Biological Neural Network is a network of nerve cells, known as neurons, found in all living

organisms. Biological neurons connect through specialized contact points called synapses. Signals

that pass from one neuron to another carry the instructions for actions, thoughts, and learning.

Unlike computer-based networks, Biological Neural Networks rely on both electrical impulses and

chemical messengers to function. This setup makes learning possible over a lifetime, whether it is

picking up a new language or grasping a new concept in science.

How Does a Biological Neural Network Work?

First, it helps to understand that a BNN is not a simple chain of neurons. It is a vast and dynamic

system that updates its own wiring based on experiences. Here is a closer look:
 Biological Neuron Structure: Each biological neuron has three main parts: the cell body,

dendrites, and an axon. Dendrites receive incoming signals, and the axon sends signals out. When

the cell body sums up enough input, it generates an electrical impulse.

 Synaptic Connections: Biological neurons connect at synapses, where chemical messengers

(neurotransmitters) jump between cells. Stronger connections make it easier for signals to move

from neuron to neuron.

 Adaptation: Biological Neural Networks adjust their links through the growth or removal of

synapses. If you keep revising your notes, the neurons behind that process build a stronger bond.

When a skill goes unused, the related synapses may weaken.

 Parallel Processing: Thousands of neurons can fire signals at once. This helps your brain handle

many tasks, such as focusing on a conversation while you walk to another room.

 Plasticity and Recovery: Biological Neural Networks can reorganize after injury or during skill-

building. This flexibility is why you can still learn something new at any age. It is also why some

recovery is possible if part of the brain is damaged.

Biological Neural Network Artificial Neural Network

Feature
(BNN) (ANN)

Real neurons with dendrites, Digital units (nodes) that handle

Building Block
cell bodies, and axons. numeric weights and activations.

Electrical impulses (action

Numeric values passed between
Signal Type potentials) + chemical
layers.
transmitters.

Learning Process Local changes in synapse Data-driven adjustments of

 strength (e.g., neurons that fire weights guided by error
together wire together). calculations.

Continuous remodeling of Structured training phases that

Adaptation connections through growth or depend on large datasets and
pruning (plasticity). backpropagation.

Often requires powerful

About 20 watts to run a vast
Energy Use processors, which can draw far
parallel system.
more energy.

Sensitive to broken nodes unless

Can reroute signals if neurons
Fault Tolerance special redundancies are
or areas are damaged.
designed.

Distributed across connected Encoded in numeric weights;

Memory Storage neurons; shaped by daily may forget old tasks when
experiences. retrained.

Can compute very quickly on

Slower signal transfer but
Speed specialized hardware, but often
extensive parallelism.
in a more linear sequence.

Hard to measure individual

Sometimes seen as a “black
Interpretability neuron contributions in
box” of weights and biases.
complex thoughts.