Neural networks are a subcategory of machine learning technology that enables automation machines to learn and process data in a way that simulates the human brain.
In short, a neural network is a sequence of machine-learning algorithms that identify primary relationships in datasets by mimicking the human brain. Many artificial intelligence (AI) systems–like AI art generators–use neural networks to generate realistic images with simple text prompts.
One of the latest AI tools that use neural networks is DALL-E 3 image generator. This is the latest version of the original DALL-E image generation system designed by OpenAI.
But what is DALL-E? DALL-E is an artificial intelliegence system that generates realistic images from simple text prompts in natural language. This tool combines ideas, qualities, and styles to generate the exact type of image you need.
With the help of neural networks, this AI tool creates a generative system that enables it to learn image generation procedures and improve itself continuously to give you more realistic images than the last ones. This means that the more you generate images with DALL-E, the better the quality of the images you’ll have.
Neural Networks and Diffusion Models
In AI image generation, neural networks help your diffusion models recover the data input from the Gaussian noise to give you newly generated images. So, what are diffusion models?
A diffusion model is a generative model that AI systems like DALL-E use to generate datasets that are similar to the ones it’s trained on. Essentially, diffusion models start by destroying the data they’re trained on through sequential addition of noise and then recover the data with the help of neural networks by reversing the noising process.
Apart from AI image generation, neural networks have many other applications, including:
- Medical diagnosis through image classification
- Targeted marketing
- Financial predictions
- Quality control
- Chemical compound identification
With neural networks, automated systems like DALL-E can recognise and extract useful data from images. For instance, they enable a computer to recognise human faces, inappropriate content, and brand logos.
They also help AI image generators to process natural languages like human-created texts. This way, they can help the diffusion models to revert the Gaussian noise for effective image generation.
How Neural Networks Work
Neural networks simulate the human brain, which inspires their architecture. The human brain is made of cells called ‘neurons.’ These cells form a multifaceted and highly interconnected network that enables them to share electrical signals and process information from your sense.
Neural networks function in a similar way. They’re made of highly interconnected artificial neurons (software modules) that are referred to as nodes. In other words, artificial neural networks are algorithms that rely on computation systems to learn new concepts and solve mathematical designs.
How Are Neural Networks Formed?
A neural network is made up of interconnected neurons (nodes) that form three main layers: the input layer, the hidden layer, and the output layer. The input layer is the entry point of your data.
For instance, when you key in your text prompt in DALL-E, this information goes to the input layer for processing. The input neurons will process the information and analyse it before it goes on to the other layer.
The hidden layer receives the processed data from the input layer. In some AI systems with multiple hidden layers, the hidden layer can obtain input from the other hidden layers. It analyses the data from the preceding layer and processes it further before passing it on to the third layer.
The output layer provides the system with the final output from the previous layers. This layer can have one or several nodes. For instance, if you’re solving a binary problem, the output layer will have a single output node that’ll give you the result as either 1 or 0.
If you’re dealing with a multi-class problem, the output layer can have several output nodes. Neural networks help AI technologies make smart choices with little or no human assistance.
They do this by learning and modelling the connection between nonlinear and complex inputs and outputs. For example, artificial neural networks can understand unstructured information and make intelligent decisions without overt training. This is how AI art generation tools like DALL-E are able to generate realistic images from simple text prompts.