There has been a significant uptick in interest in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Organizations are captivated by the capabilities of popular Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E, and they are starting to consider building their own AI projects.
However, before your organization can begin AI development, it needs to choose a programming language to form the foundation of the AI project. Unfortunately, the most popular programming languages in software development are not always the best programming languages for AI development.
This post will examine the most popular AI programming languages. Choosing the correct AI programming language will significantly impact the success and capabilities of your Artificial Intelligence projects.
The Top Programming Languages for Artificial Intelligence Development
Several programming languages are well-suited for AI development. You are likely familiar with some of the popular Artificial Intelligence programming languages but others you might have never heard of.
The important thing to remember is that each programming language is different and offers unique advantages for AI development. Therefore, choosing the right programming language for AI development comes down to the needs of your Artificial Intelligence applications and the skills of your development team.
The top programming languages for Artificial Intelligence development are:
- Python
- C++
- LISP
- R
- Java
- Haskell
Python
Python is a popular programming language for AI development because of its data analysis capabilities. Python is the most widely used programming language for writing Machine Learning algorithms.
While Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language, it has a simple syntax, which makes it easy to maintain and learn. In addition, Python has several AI development frameworks.
For example, TensorFlow, the most popular open-source Machine Learning library for Python, can train deep neural networks. There is also PyTorch that can be used for natural language processing, scikit-learn that can be used for training Machine Learning models, and many other capable frameworks, libraries, and tools.
Python is the best AI programming language for beginners and Machine Learning algorithms.
C++
C++ is a low-level programming language, which means it works well with hardware and machines but is less adept at handling the theoretical side of AI programming. C++ is a very flexible programming language that is great for resource-intensive applications and AI models in production.
This programming language might not be the first choice for AI development, but it was used to build many of the most popular Machine Learning libraries. In addition, C++ can be used to build neural networks from scratch. It also has several popular deep learning libraries such as MongoDB, mlpack, and MapReduce.
Since C++ converts user code into machine-readable code, it offers high levels of efficiency and performance.
LISP
LISP is one of the oldest programming languages used for AI development. The programming language was first released in 1958 to handle the task of list processing. While LISP has a complicated syntax structure and difficult-to-use libraries, the programming language is very flexible and has several features that are great for AI development, including:
- Dynamic object creation
- Rapid prototyping
- Data structures that can be executed as programs
- Programs can be modified as data
- Mandatory garbage collection
Since LISP is one of the more difficult programming languages to use, it is often not the first choice in Artificial Intelligence development. However, the programming language is exceedingly flexible and can be a great choice for AI development.
R
R’s built-in functional programming, vectorial computation, and object-oriented programming features make it a great option in AI development. Of course, R wasn’t developed with Artificial Intelligence in mind, but it is very good at crunching large numbers and big data.
R is more effective than Python at scale. While R is most popular with statisticians and mathematical applications, it has several packages designed specifically for AI development, including:
- gmodels
- TM
- OneR
- RODBC
Mathematics and data science are vital to Artificial Intelligence. While R is not as popular as Python, it is more effective at crunching numbers than Python.
Java
Java is one of the most ubiquitous and popular programming languages. Thanks to Java Virtual Machine, Java can be used almost anywhere for any application on any platform. In addition, Java is widely used in mobile app development.
Since mobile apps often use AI features, Java has become a great option for AI developers. Additionally, Java can work with the popular TensorFlow library and has several other libraries and frameworks built specifically for AI development, including:
- OpenNLP
- Kubeflow
- Java Machine Learning Library
- Neuroph
- Deep Java Library
Java is a widely known language in the software development community. As a result, it can help your organization get into AI development with fewer barriers.
Haskell
Haskell is a statically typed, readable, and functional programming language. Moreover, this programming language is expressive and exceedingly flexible. For example, Haskell enables developers to describe algorithms briefly and explicitly.
The language’s type safety and management features emphasize code correctness and reduce the need to spend a lot of time debugging code errors. Haskell is great for writing Machine Learning algorithms.
However, Haskell is a niche programming language that can be difficult for developers to learn. The best part about Haskell for AI development is its efficiency.
While it is a great AI option, if your development staff is not familiar with Haskell, other programming languages are easier to learn.
Final Thoughts
AI development is something that many organizations are interested in. In addition, programming languages like Python and Java are widely used and known in the application development community.
If you are interested in AI development, the best option is to start with technologies that you are already familiar with. However, if your development needs require a more niche solution, it makes sense to learn about other languages and what they offer.
If you want to learn more about AI development and the most effective programming languages for the task, reach out to an experienced app development partner like Koombea.
