# Recent Advances in Scalable Energy-Efficient and Trustworthy Spiking Neural networks: from Algorithms to Technology

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.01213 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.01213/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 43 of its 56 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 Dec 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 30 of 43)

- [Attention Is All You Need](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1706.03762/) (2017)
- [Deep Residual Learning for Image Recognition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1512.03385/) (2015)
- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)
- [Training Compute-Optimal Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.15556/) (2022)
- [Energy and Policy Considerations for Deep Learning in NLP](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.02243/) (2019)
- [GLM-130B: An Open Bilingual Pre-trained Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.02414/) (2022)
- [RWKV: Reinventing RNNs for the Transformer Era](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.13048/) (2023)
- [Segment Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.06718/) (2023)
- [Deep Residual Learning in Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.04159/) (2021)
- [Going Deeper With Directly-Trained Larger Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.05280/) (2020)
- [Spikformer: When Spiking Neural Network Meets Transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.15425/) (2022)
- [Going Deeper in Spiking Neural Networks: VGG and Residual Architectures](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.02627/) (2018)
- [Mobile-Former: Bridging MobileNet and Transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2108.05895/) (2021)
- [cosFormer: Rethinking Softmax in Attention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.08791/) (2022)
- [Long short-term memory and learning-to-learn in networks of spiking neurons](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.09574/) (2018)
- [Spike-driven Transformer](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.01694/) (2023)
- [Enabling Deep Spiking Neural Networks with Hybrid Conversion and Spike Timing Dependent Backpropagation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.01807/) (2020)
- [Optimal Conversion of Conventional Artificial Neural Networks to Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.00476/) (2021)
- [Attention Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.13929/) (2022)
- [SpikeGPT: Generative Pre-trained Language Model with Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.13939/) (2023)
- [Advancing Spiking Neural Networks towards Deep Residual Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.08954/) (2021)
- [DIET-SNN: Direct Input Encoding With Leakage and Threshold Optimization in Deep Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.03658/) (2020)
- [HIRE-SNN: Harnessing the Inherent Robustness of Energy-Efficient Deep Spiking Neural Networks by Training with Crafted Input Noise](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2110.11417/) (2021)
- [Neuromorphic Data Augmentation for Training Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.06145/) (2022)
- [S4NN: temporal backpropagation for spiking neural networks with one spike per neuron](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.09495/) (2019)
- [Inherent Adversarial Robustness of Deep Spiking Neural Networks: Effects of Discrete Input Encoding and Non-Linear Activations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2003.10399/) (2020)
- [Temporal Coding in Spiking Neural Networks with Alpha Synaptic Function: Learning with Backpropagation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.13223/) (2019)
- [Pruning of Deep Spiking Neural Networks through Gradient Rewiring](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.04916/) (2021)
- [Optimized Potential Initialization for Low-latency Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.01440/) (2022)
- [Conversion of Artificial Recurrent Neural Networks to Spiking Neural Networks for Low-power Neuromorphic Hardware](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1601.04187/) (2016)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [DA-LIF: Dual Adaptive Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Model for Deep Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.10422/) (2025)
- [Edge Intelligence with Spiking Neural Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.14069/) (2025)
- [The Robustness of Spiking Neural Networks in Communication and its Application towards Network Efficiency in Federated Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.12769/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Neuromorphic computing and, in particular, spiking neural networks (SNNs) have become an attractive alternative to deep neural networks for a broad range of signal processing applications, processing static and/or temporal inputs from different sensory modalities, including audio and vision sensors. In this paper, we start with a description of recent advances in algorithmic and optimization innovations to efficiently train and scale low-latency, and energy-efficient spiking neural networks (SNNs) for complex machine learning applications. We then discuss the recent efforts in algorithm-architecture co-design that explores the inherent trade-offs between achieving high energy-efficiency and low latency while still providing high accuracy and trustworthiness. We then describe the underlying hardware that has been developed to leverage such algorithmic innovations in an efficient way. In particular, we describe a hybrid method to integrate significant portions of the model's computation within both memory components as well as the sensor itself. Finally, we discuss the potential path forward for research in building deployable SNN systems identifying key challenges in the algorithm-hardware-application co-design space with an emphasis on trustworthiness.
