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I share the concern about mono-cultures in tech, but if you are serious about getting into data science or AI I have to agree with the OP -- stick to TensorFlow

I share the concern about mono-cultures in tech, but if you are serious about getting into data science or AI I have to agree with the OP -- stick to TensorFlow. TensorFlow.js is not a first class citizen of that ecosystem, but its close enough to get real work done. Also... there are some groups that use Javascript for this kind of work (We use Typescript for our projects), but the vast majority of it is in Python. As much as I dislike that language, it completely dominates AI and data science.

boltzmannbrain 8y ago
> if you are serious about getting into data science or AI Then you won't be using Javascript anyways. Like you said, Python is the way to go: PyTorch, TF, PyMC3, scikit-learn, etc.
- bluejay2387 8y ago
  There are several firms that I personally know of that use alternative languages for building production systems around AI. My two largest clients have systems built in Typescript and Java. If you are going to work in this field you have to know Python as it is a common language for practitioners, but the language choice for production systems is driven by many factors. Python is almost never an appropriate choice for building production systems. Even in cases where we use Python for models, the models are exported to a different language for integration with the deployed application. In many cases there are substantial benefits to building models in the language that will used for building the final application as well. As with all technical choices, the needs of the project should be the ultimate basis for making a selection -- not fanboi attachments to particular languages.
  - FridgeSeal 8y ago
    > but the language choice for production systems is driven by many factors. Python is almost never an appropriate choice for building production systems And JS is? Even with TS papering over the top of it, JS is not really an ideal language for this. If you want a type system, performance and ease of use, why not write it in Julia?
orf 8y ago
> As much as I dislike that language Can you elaborate why? It dominates AI and data science for a reason

boltzmannbrain 8y ago

> if you are serious about getting into data science or AI Then you won't be using Javascript anyways. Like you said, Python is the way to go: PyTorch, TF, PyMC3, scikit-learn, etc.

bluejay2387 8y ago
There are several firms that I personally know of that use alternative languages for building production systems around AI. My two largest clients have systems built in Typescript and Java. If you are going to work in this field you have to know Python as it is a common language for practitioners, but the language choice for production systems is driven by many factors. Python is almost never an appropriate choice for building production systems. Even in cases where we use Python for models, the models are exported to a different language for integration with the deployed application. In many cases there are substantial benefits to building models in the language that will used for building the final application as well. As with all technical choices, the needs of the project should be the ultimate basis for making a selection -- not fanboi attachments to particular languages.
- FridgeSeal 8y ago
  > but the language choice for production systems is driven by many factors. Python is almost never an appropriate choice for building production systems And JS is? Even with TS papering over the top of it, JS is not really an ideal language for this. If you want a type system, performance and ease of use, why not write it in Julia?

orf 8y ago

> As much as I dislike that language Can you elaborate why? It dominates AI and data science for a reason