80% of data scientists will have deep learning in their toolkits by 2018, predicts Gartner 7wData

Deep learning, a variation of Machine Learning (ML), represents the major driver toward artificial intelligence(AI), reports Gartner. Gartner's 2017 Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies notes deep learning is receiving additional attention because it harnesses cognitive domains that were previously the exclusive territory of humans, mainly image and voice recognition and text understanding. Today, most common use cases of ML through deep learning are in image, text and audio processing -- but increasingly also in predicting demand, determining deficiencies around service and product quality, detecting new types of fraud, streaming analytics on data in motion, and providing predictive or even prescriptive maintenance. Gartner's advice for harnessing deep learning and related technologies around Machine Learning include starting with simple business problems for which there is consensus about the expected outcomes, and gradually moving toward complex business scenarios.