Yes, deep learning today is a trade. If we want to be more charitable, we can call it an experimental science -- some work truly deserves the moniker. The stat

Yes, deep learning today is a trade. If we want to be more charitable, we can call it an experimental science -- some work truly deserves the moniker. The state of deep learning today is analogous to the state of bridge-engineering before the advent of physics: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608911/is-ai-riding-a-one-trick-pony/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608911/is-ai-riding-a-one... -- everyone in the trade is aware of this, I think. But that doesn't mean we should stop building better deep-learning models, finding more efficient ways to train them, and improving state-of-the-art performance in increasingly challenging tasks.