AlphaDev is an artificial intelligence system developed by DeepMind that uses deep reinforcement learning to discover faster algorithms for sorting data. Sorting algorithms are essential in computing, used for tasks like ranking search results, organizing data, and running various computer processes. What makes AlphaDev groundbreaking is that it approaches algorithm discovery differently from humans, by working at a lower level, directly manipulating assembly instructions (the code that a CPU directly executes) rather than optimizing higher-level programming languages like C++.

By treating the search for faster sorting algorithms as a game, AlphaDev uses techniques originally developed for game-playing AIs, like AlphaZero, to explore vast combinations of assembly instructions. It seeks to find efficient sequences that improve how computers sort and manage data. This innovative approach allowed AlphaDev to uncover algorithms that are up to 70% faster for small data sequences (three to five elements) and around 1.7% faster for very large sequences of over 250,000 elements. These discoveries have already been incorporated into widely-used C++ libraries, enhancing the efficiency of software applications across various industries.