Google’s DeepMind team is back with an updated deep neural net dubbed the “differentiable neural computer (DNC).” Taking inspiration from plasticity mechanisms in the hippocampus, our brain’s memory storage system, the team has added a memory module to a deep learning neural network that allows it to quickly store and access learned bits of knowledge when needed.
With training, the algorithm can flexibly solve difficult reasoning problems that stump conventional neural networks — for example, navigating the London Underground subway system or reasoning about interpersonal relationships based on a family tree.
That might not sound impressive, but DNCs could be a gateway to more powerful computational engines that marry deep learning with rational thinking.
