Get the latest tech news

You can now download the source code that sparked the AI boom

CHM releases code for 2012 AlexNet breakthrough that proved “deep learning” could work.

AlexNet served as a watershed moment in AI because it could accurately identify objects in photographs with unprecedented accuracy—correctly classifying images into one of 1,000 categories like "strawberry," "school bus," or "golden retriever" with significantly fewer errors than previous systems. Like viewing original ENIAC circuitry or plans for Babbage's Difference Engine, examining the AlexNet code may provide future historians insight into how a relatively simple implementation sparked a technology that has reshaped our world. The museum worked with Google for five years to negotiate the release and carefully identify which specific version represented the original 2012 implementation—an important distinction, as many recreations labeled "AlexNet" exist online but aren't the authentic code used in the breakthrough.

Get the Android app