journal article·2025-09-29Open access

A Modular Perspective on the Evolution of Deep Learning: Paradigm Shifts and Contributions to AI

Yicheng Wei, Yifu Wang, Junzo Watada

Applied Sciences· Volume 15· Issue 19

Abstract

The rapid development of deep learning (DL) has demonstrated its modular contributions to artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as large language models (LLMs). DL variants have proliferated across domains such as feature extraction, normalization, lightweight architecture design, and module integration, yielding substantial advancements in these subfields. However, the absence of a unified review framework to contextualize DL’s modular evolutions within AI development complicates efforts to pinpoint future research directions. Existing review papers often focus on narrow technical aspects or lack systemic analysis of modular relationships, leaving gaps in our understanding how these innovations collectively drive AI progress. This work bridges this gap by providing a roadmap for researchers to navigate DL’s modular innovations, with a focus on balancing scalability and sustainability amid evolving AI paradigms. To address this, we systematically analyze extensive literature from databases including Web of Science, Scopus, arXiv, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, SpringerLink, Elsevier, etc., with the aim of (1) summarizing and updating recent developments in DL algorithms, with performance benchmarks on standard dataset; (2) identifying innovation trends in DL from a modular viewpoint; and (3) evaluating how these modular innovations contribute to broader advances in artificial intelligence, with particular attention to scalability and sustainability amid shifting AI paradigms.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Domain Adaptation and Few-Shot Learning · Generative Adversarial Networks and Image Synthesis · Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Digital Economics and Management, Suzhou City University, Suzhou 215104, China

School of Statistics and Data Science, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu 611130, China

Faculty of Data Sciences, Shimonoseki City University, Yamaguchi 751-8510, Japan

Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

Funding

Suzhou City University Research Startup Funds

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