Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Neural Architecture Search (NAS)

Definition

Neural Architecture Search (NAS) is a technique for automating the design of artificial neural networks. NAS uses a machine learning algorithm to search for the best neural network architecture for a given task.

Why It Matters

Designing high-performing neural network architectures is a complex and time-consuming process that requires significant human expertise. NAS automates this process, potentially discovering architectures that are more efficient and performant than human-designed ones.

Contextual Example

A NAS algorithm could automatically experiment with different numbers of layers, types of layers, and connections to find the optimal architecture for an image classification problem.

Common Misunderstandings

  • NAS is computationally very expensive, as it involves training and evaluating many different network architectures.
  • It is a form of "AutoML" (Automated Machine Learning).

Related Terms

Last Updated: December 17, 2025