Neural network

A type of artificial intelligence that attempts to imitate the way a human brain works. Rather than using a digital model, in which all computations manipulate zeros and ones, a neural network works by creating connections between processing elements, the computer equivalent of neurons. The organization and weights of the connections determine the output. Neural networks are particularly effective for predicting events when the networks have a large database of prior examples to draw on. Strictly speaking, a neural network implies a non-digital computer, but neural networks can be simulated on digital computers. The field of neural networks was pioneered by Bernard Widrow of Stanford University in the 1950s. To date, there are very few commercial applications of neural networks, but the approach is beginning to prove useful in certain areas that involve recognizing complex patterns, such as voice recognition.