AlexNet was a turning point not just for deep learning but for the worldwide technology industry. It showed that neural networks could succeed in multiple areas—not just speech recognition—and that GPUs were essential to this success. It shifted both the software and hardware markets. Baidu recognized the importance, after the deep learning researcher Kai Yu explained the moment to the CEO, Robin Li. So did Microsoft, after Li Deng won the support of an executive vice president named Qi Lu. And so did Google.
