When you shop for a car, the first question is what model - a Honda Civic for low-cost commuting, a Chevy Corvette for looking good and moving fast, or maybe a Ford F-150 to tote heavy loads.
For the journey to AI, the most transformational technology of our time, the engine you need is a machine learning model.
What Is an ML Model? A machine learning model is an expression of an algorithm that combs through mountains of data to find patterns or make predictions. Fueled by data, ML models are the mathematical engines of AI.
For example, an ML model for computer vision might be able to identify cars and pedestrians in a real-time video. One for natural language processing might translate words and sentences.
Under the hood, a model is a mathematical representation of objects and their relationships to each other. The objects can be anything from likes on a social networking post to molecules in a lab experiment.
ML Models for Every Purpose With no constraints on the objects that can become features in an ML model, there's no limit to the uses for AI. The combinations are infinite.
Data scientists have created whole families of machine learning models for different uses, and more are in the works.
Examples of machine learning models and their uses. For instance, linear models use algebra to predict relationships between variables in financial projections. Graphical models express as diagrams a probability, such as whether a consumer will choose to buy a product. Borrowing the metaphor of branches, some ML models take the form of decision trees or groups of them called random forests.
In the Big Bang of AI in 2012, researchers found deep learning to be one of the most successful techniques for finding patterns and making predictions. It uses a kind of machine learning model called a neural network because it was inspired by the patterns and functions of brain cells.
An ML Model for the Masses Deep learning took its name from the structure of its machine learning models. They stack layer upon layer of features and their relationships, forming a mathematical hero sandwich.
Thanks to their uncanny accuracy in finding patterns, two kinds of deep learning models, described in a separate explainer, are appearing everywhere.
Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), often used in computer vision, act like eyes in autonomous vehicles and can help spot diseases in medical imaging. Recurrent neural networks and transformers (RNNs), tuned to analyze spoken and written language, are the engines of Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant and Apple's Siri.
Deep learning neural networks got their name from their multilayered structure. Pssssst, Pick a Pretrained Model Choosing the right family of models - like a CNN, RNN or transformer - is a great beginning. But that's just the start.
If you want to ride the Baja 500, you can modify a stock dune buggy with heavy duty shocks and rugged tires, or you can shop for a vehicle built for that race.
In machine learning, that's what's called a pretrained model. It's tuned on large sets of training data that are similar to data in your use case. Data relationships - called weights and biases - are optimized for the intended application.
It takes an enormous dataset, a lot of AI expertise and significant compute muscle to train a model. Savvy buyers shop for pretrained models to save time and money.
Who Ya Gonna Call? When you're shopping for a pretrained model, find a dealer you can trust.
NVIDIA puts its name behind an online library called the NGC catalog that's filled with vetted, pretrained models. They span the spectrum of AI jobs from computer vision and conversational AI and more.
Users know what they're getting because models in the catalog come with r sum s. They're like the credentials of a prospective hire.
Model resumes show you the domain the model was trained for, the dataset that trained it, and how it's expected to perform. They provide transparency and confidence you're picking the right model for your use case.
More Resources for ML Models What's more, NGC models are ready for transfer learning. That's the one final tune-up that torques models for the exact road conditions over which they'll ride - your application's data.
NVIDIA even provides the wrench to tune your NGC model. It's called TAO and you can sign up for early access to it today.
To learn more, check out:
Our web page on pretrained models
A guide to the NGC catalog
A blog about TAO and deploying pretrained models
A developer blog on using pretrained models for computer vision to build a gesture recognition app
A talk from GTC 21 on transfer learning (free to view with registration)
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
When you shop for a car, the first question is what model - a Honda Civic for low-cost commuting, a Chevy Corvette for looking good and moving fast, or maybe a Ford F-150 to tote heavy loads.
