Chinese Internet services company Baidu, Inc. is currently using deep learning algorithm, a new subfield of artificial intelligence (AI), to improve its search engine technology and other computing tasks.

Deep learning is an area of machine learning that intends to train computer hardware and software to replicate the behavior of the human brain by using data representations.

Like Us on Facebook

Andrew Ng, former artificial intelligence chief of Google, is currently leading Baidu's AI research and development lab in Silicon Valley, California.

Baidu hired Ng last May for his expertise in robotics and machine learning. He's known for leading Google's Brain project that assembled a group of computers to mimic the neural networks of a human brain.

These neural networks successfully enabled a computer to recognize a cat by viewing millions of still images from YouTube videos. The computer teaches itself how to recognize certain objects by the use of these digital images.

Baidu now uses deep learning to improve its search engine results and generate relevant ads on its services.

"It's used very successfully in advertising. We have not released revenue numbers on the specific impact, but it is significant." said Ng.

"Baidu, more than any other company, has aggressively moved deep learning into products, things at the heart of the company,"

The Chinese giant also used deep learning on its Baidu Eye device that allowed it to identity objects located in the user's point of sight. Ng said it can be used to easily detect hard drive failures in huge data centers.

Deep learning had also helped the company's speech recognition software decrease its error rates by 25 percent.

Other tech companies are apparently moving into the field of artificial intelligence to enable their technologies to learn how to perform certain tasks.

For instance, deep learning can allow social media sites such as Facebook to recognize people, language and objects visible in images.

"Whoever wins artificial intelligence will win the Internet in China and around the world. Baidu has the best shot to make it work." said Ng.

TagsBaidu Inc., google brain, Deep Learning, Baidu Eye, Search engine, california