Deep Learning in Spiking Neural Networks

This episode explores how spiking neural networks differ from conventional deep networks by representing information as time-based spikes rather than continuous activations, and why that makes them both appealing and difficult to train. It breaks down the main research directions in the field, including local spike-timing-dependent plasticity, direct gradient-based training of spiking models, and ANN-to-SNN conversion, emphasizing that these approaches solve different problems and should not be treated as interchangeable. The discussion highlights the paper’s core argument that spiking models may help bridge neuroscience, energy-efficient neuromorphic hardware, and competitive machine learning, while also questioning whether claims about progress often blur together engineering wins, biological realism, and benchmark performance. Listeners would find it interesting for its clear explanation of the ANN-SNN gap, the tradeoffs behind biologically inspired AI, and the unresolved question of whether spiking systems can become both practical and scientifically meaningful. Sources: 1. Deep Learning in Spiking Neural Networks — Amirhossein Tavanaei, Masoud Ghodrati, Saeed Reza Kheradpisheh, Timothee Masquelier, Anthony S. Maida, 2018 http://arxiv.org/abs/1804.08150 2. Networks of Spiking Neurons: The Third Generation of Neural Network Models — Wolfgang Maass, 1997 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Networks+of+Spiking+Neurons%3A+The+Third+Generation+of+Neural+Network+Models 3. Deep Learning in Spiking Neural Networks — Amirhossein Tavanaei, Masoud Ghodrati, Saeed Reza Kheradpisheh, Timothee Masquelier, Anthony Maida, 2019 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Deep+Learning+in+Spiking+Neural+Networks 4. Surrogate Gradient Learning in Spiking Neural Networks: Bringing the Power of Gradient-Based Optimization to Spiking Neural Networks — Emre O. Neftci, Hesham Mostafa, Friedemann Zenke, 2019 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Surrogate+Gradient+Learning+in+Spiking+Neural+Networks%3A+Bringing+the+Power+of+Gradient-Based+Optimization+to+Spiking+Neural+Networks 5. Backpropagation and the Brain — Timothy P. Lillicrap, Adam Santoro, Luke Marris, Colin J. Akerman, Geoffrey Hinton, 2020 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Backpropagation+and+the+Brain 6. Fast-Classifying, High-Accuracy Spiking Deep Networks Through Weight and Threshold Balancing — Peter U. Diehl, Daniel Neil, Jonathan Binas, Matthew Cook, Shih-Chii Liu, Michael Pfeiffer, 2015 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Fast-Classifying%2C+High-Accuracy+Spiking+Deep+Networks+Through+Weight+and+Threshold+Balancing 7. Training Deep Spiking Neural Networks Using Backpropagation — Jun Haeng Lee, Tobi Delbruck, Michael Pfeiffer, 2016 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Training+Deep+Spiking+Neural+Networks+Using+Backpropagation 8. Conversion of Continuous-Valued Deep Networks to Efficient Event-Driven Networks for Image Classification — Bodo Rueckauer, Iulia-Alexandra Lungu, Yuhuang Hu, Michael Pfeiffer, Shih-Chii Liu, 2017 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Conversion+of+Continuous-Valued+Deep+Networks+to+Efficient+Event-Driven+Networks+for+Image+Classification 9. Spatio-Temporal Backpropagation for Training High-Performance Spiking Neural Networks — Yujie Wu, Lei Deng, Guoqi Li, Jun Zhu, Luping Shi, 2018 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Spatio-Temporal+Backpropagation+for+Training+High-Performance+Spiking+Neural+Networks 10. SLAYER: Spike Layer Error Reassignment in Time — Sumit Bam Shrestha, Garrick Orchard, 2018 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=SLAYER%3A+Spike+Layer+Error+Reassignment+in+Time 11. A spiking neural network with continuous local learning for robust online brain machine interface — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A+spiking+neural+network+with+continuous+local+learning+for+robust+online+brain+machine+interface 12. Adaptive deep spiking neural network with global-local learning via balanced excitatory and inhibitory mechanism — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Adaptive+deep+spiking+neural+network+with+global-local+learning+via+balanced+excitatory+and+inhibitory+mechanism 13. Delay learning based on temporal coding in spiking neural networks — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Delay+learning+based+on+temporal+coding+in+spiking+neural+networks 14. Temporal-coded spiking neural networks with dynamic firing threshold: Learning with event-driven backpropagation — approx. unknown from snippet, 2021 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Temporal-coded+spiking+neural+networks+with+dynamic+firing+threshold%3A+Learning+with+event-driven+backpropagation 15. Spikingformer: Spike-driven residual learning for transformer-based spiking neural network — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Spikingformer%3A+Spike-driven+residual+learning+for+transformer-based+spiking+neural+network 16. Sstformer: Bridging spiking neural network and memory support transformer for frame-event based recognition — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Sstformer%3A+Bridging+spiking+neural+network+and+memory+support+transformer+for+frame-event+based+recognition 17. TE-Spikformer: Temporal-enhanced spiking neural network with transformer — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=TE-Spikformer%3A+Temporal-enhanced+spiking+neural+network+with+transformer 18. NeuronSpark: A Spiking Neural Network Language Model with Selective State Space Dynamics — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=NeuronSpark%3A+A+Spiking+Neural+Network+Language+Model+with+Selective+State+Space+Dynamics 19. SpikingSSMs: Learning long sequences with sparse and parallel spiking state space models — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=SpikingSSMs%3A+Learning+long+sequences+with+sparse+and+parallel+spiking+state+space+models 20. Delays in Spiking Neural Networks: A State Space Model Approach — approx. unknown from snippet, recent https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Delays+in+Spiking+Neural+Networks%3A+A+State+Space+Model+Approach 21. AI Post Transformers: Directly Trained Spiking DQNs for Atari — Hal Turing & Dr. Ada Shannon, 2026 https://podcast.do-not-panic.com/episodes/2026-04-20-directly-trained-spiking-dqns-for-atari-947693.mp3 22. AI Post Transformers: SpikingBrain: Brain-Inspired LLMs for Efficient Long-Context Processing — Hal Turing & Dr. Ada Shannon, 2025 https://podcast.do-not-panic.com/episodes/spikingbrain-brain-inspired-llms-for-efficient-long-context-processing/ Interactive Visualization: Deep Learning in Spiking Neural Networks