Convolutions vs Transformers

The cluster centers on debates about whether transformers or new ML architectures are essentially rediscovering or equivalent to convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and convolutions.

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Keywords

C99 VGG16 youtube.com CNN distill.pub mlinpl.org ImageNet ConvNet ConvNets AMA neural cnn image networks neural network neural networks layers network nets images

Sample Comments

skdotdan • Apr 24, 2019 • View on HN

Are Transformers based on convolutions?

CMCDragonkai • May 23, 2019 • View on HN

Could this be used for convolutional neural networks?

wardedVibe • May 27, 2022 • View on HN

I see we are re-deriving conv nets

steinvakt2 • Apr 17, 2025 • View on HN

But isn't this basically what the conv layer does...?

smus • Apr 27, 2025 • View on HN

Convolutional neural networks are pretty big

davesque • Dec 16, 2018 • View on HN

Pretty broad but, from one section in the article, sounds like they're using convolutional layers in their networks?

CyberDildonics • Dec 3, 2023 • View on HN

It's just as bad a "convolutional neural networks" instead of "images being scaled down"

uoaei • Nov 24, 2020 • View on HN

Convolution is fancy linear regression

natch • Oct 6, 2022 • View on HN

They work at the level of convolutions, not images.

sorenjan • Aug 6, 2023 • View on HN

What's wrong about using the term convolution in ML?