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11 Open-Source Frameworks for AI and Machine Learning Models

A good ML framework thus reduces the complexity of defining ML models. With these open-
source ML frameworks, you can build your ML models easily and quickly.

by
Tharika Tellicherry
·
Apr. 05, 18 · AI Zone · Opinion

8,545 Views
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The meteoric rise of artificial intelligence in the last decade has spurred a huge demand for AI
and ML skills in today’s job market. ML-based technology is now used in almost every industry
vertical, from finance to healthcare. In this article, I compiled a list of the best frameworks and
libraries that you can use to build machine learning models.

1. TensorFlow
Developed by Google, TensorFlow is an open-source software library built for deep learning or
artificial neural networks. With TensorFlow, you can create neural networks and computation
models using flowgraphs. It is one of the most well-maintained and popular open-source
libraries available for deep learning. The TensorFlow framework is available in C++ and Python.
Other similar deep learning frameworks that are based on Python include Theano, Torch,
Lasagne, Blocks, MXNet, PyTorch, and Caffe. You can use TensorBoard for easy visualization and
see the computation pipeline. Its flexible architecture allows you to deploy easily on different
kinds of devices. On the negative side, TensorFlow does not have symbolic loops and does not
support distributed learning. Further, it does not support Windows.

2. Theano
Theano is a Python library designed for deep learning. Using the tool, you can define and
evaluate mathematical expressions, including multi-dimensional arrays. Optimized for GPU, the
tool comes with features including integration with NumPy, dynamic C code generation, and
symbolic differentiation. However, to get a high level of abstraction, the tool will have to be
used with other libraries such as Keras, Lasagne, and Blocks. The tool supports platforms such
as Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

3. Torch
Torch is an easy-to-use open-source computing framework for ML algorithms. The tool offers
an efficient GPU support, N-dimensional arrays, numeric optimization routines, linear algebra
routines, and routines for indexing, slicing, and transposing. Based on a scripting language
called Lua, the tool comes with an ample number of pre-trained models. This flexible and
efficient ML research tool supports major platforms such as Linux, Android, Mac OS X, iOS, and
Windows.

4. Caffe
Caffe is a popular deep learning tool designed for building apps. Created by Yangqing Jia for a
project during his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, the tool has a good Matlab/C++/ Python interface. The
tool allows you to quickly apply neural networks to the problem using text without writing
code. Caffe partially supports multi-GPU training. The tool supports operating systems such as
Ubuntu, Mac OS X, and Windows.

5. Microsoft CNTK
Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit is one of the fastest deep learning frameworks with C#/C++/Python
interface support. The open-source framework comes with a powerful C++ API and is faster and
more accurate than TensorFlow. The tool also supports distributed learning with built-in data
readers. It supports algorithms such as feed-forward, CNN, RNN, LSTM, and sequence-to-
sequence. The tool supports Windows and Linux.

6. Keras
Written in Python, Keras is an open-source library designed to make the creation of new DL
models easy. This high-level neural network API can be run on top of deep learning frameworks
like TensorFlow, Microsoft CNTK, etc. Known for its user-friendliness and modularity, the tool is
ideal for fast prototyping. The tool is optimized for both CPU and GPU.

7. scikit-learn
scikit-learn is an open-source Python library designed for machine learning. The tool based on
libraries such as NumPy, SciPy, and matplotlib can be used for data mining and data analysis.
scikit-learn is equipped with a variety of ML models including linear and logistic regressors, SVM
classifiers, and random forests. The tool can be used for multiple ML tasks such as classification,
regression, and clustering. The tool supports operating systems like Windows and Linux. On the
downside, it is not very efficient with GPU.

8. Accord.NET
Written in C#, Accord.NET is an ML framework designed for building production-grade
computer vision, computer audition, signal processing, and statistics applications. It is a well-
documented ML framework that makes audio and image processing easy. The tool can be used
for numerical optimization, artificial neural networks, and visualization. It supports Windows.

9. Spark MLlib
Apache Spark’s MLIib is an ML library that can be used in Java, Scala, Python, and R. Designed
for processing large-scale data, this powerful library comes with many algorithms and utilities
such as classification, regression, and clustering. The tool interoperates with NumPy in Python
and R libraries. It can be easily plugged into Hadoop workflows.

10. Azure ML Studio

Azure ML Studio is a modern cloud platform for data scientists. It can be used to develop ML
models in the cloud. With a wide range of modeling options and algorithms, Azure is ideal for
building larger ML models. The service provides 10GB of storage space per account. It can be
used with R and Python programs.

11. Amazon Machine Learning

Amazon Machine Learning (AML) is an ML service that provides tools and wizards for creating
ML models. With visual aids and easy-to-use analytics, AML aims to make ML more accessible
to developers. AML can be connected to data stored in Amazon S3, Redshift, or RDS.
Machine learning frameworks come with pre-built components that are easy to understand and
code. A good ML framework thus reduces the complexity of defining ML models. With these
open-source ML frameworks, you can build your ML models easily and quickly.