DeepMind's AlphaDev AI system discovers faster computer science algorithms

DeepMind's AI system, AlphaDev, has discovered a faster algorithm for sorting, surpassing those honed by engineers over decades. AlphaDev uses reinforcement learning to discover enhanced computer science algorithms. AlphaDev uncovered a faster algorithm for sorting, a method for ordering data, which billions of people use every day. The new sorting algorithm is more efficient for shorter sequences, and the novel approach could have a huge impact given the trillions of times these algorithms are used daily. AlphaDev has demonstrated its ability to generalise and discover new algorithms with real-world impact, moving towards developing general-purpose AI tools.