Backpropagation is a leaky abstraction (2016)

(karpathy.medium.com)

346 points swatson741 | 1 comments | 02 Nov 25 05:20 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

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joshdavham ◴[02 Nov 25 07:14 UTC] No.45788432[source]▶

Given that we're now in the year 2025 and AI has become ubiquitous, I'd be curious to estimate what percentage of developers now actually understand backprop.

It's a bit snarky of me, but whenever I see some web developer or product person with a strong opinion about AI and its future, I like to ask "but can you at least tell me how gradient descent works?"

I'd like to see a future where more developers have a basic understanding of ML even if they never go on to do much of it. I think we would all benefit from being a bit more ML-literate.

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confirmmesenpai ◴[02 Nov 25 08:40 UTC] No.45788793[source]▶

>>45788432 #

so if you want to have a strong opinion on electric cars you need to be able to explain how an electric engine works right?

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1. oceanplexian ◴[02 Nov 25 13:01 UTC] No.45789972[source]▶

>>45788793 #

I’d say so, the hallmark of being a car guy is understanding the basics, like the difference between a four cylinder and a six cylinder, a turbocharger from a supercharger, the different types of gearboxes (DCT vs AT or a CVT), and so on. They all affect the feel, capabilities, and limitations of the car.

Electric cars have similar complexities and limitations, for example the Bolt I owned could only go ~92MPH due to limitations in the gearing as a result of having a 1 speed gearbox. I would expect someone with a strong opinion of a car to know something as simple as the top speed.

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