# PyTorch Tutorial for Deep Learning Fundamentals

Learn the essentials of building AI models with PyTorch framework

- **Source:** [The JetBrains Blog](https://brifing.si/source/782eebd1-7be8-49cc-b27c-e552516691b2)
- **Published:** 2026-07-29
- **Topic:** [Data & AI](https://brifing.si/c/data-ai)
- **Original article:** <https://blog.jetbrains.com/pycharm/2026/07/pytorch-tutorial-for-deep-learning/>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/e0fc39d6-3958-4f0e-9043-1998ebc37643

## Democratization of Deep Learning

Once accessible only to researchers with massive computing resources, AI technologies have become available to developers worldwide thanks to open-source frameworks like PyTorch. As of 2024, PyTorch leads the industry with 63% adoption rate in model training. Companies like Meta, Microsoft and Tesla trust it in production environments.

## PyTorch Origins

PyTorch traces its roots to 2016 at Facebook's AI Research Lab (FAIR). It was created as a Python redesign of the Lua-based Torch framework. Now developed under Linux Foundation, it has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem by 2025, incorporating large-scale projects like vLLM, DeepSpeed and Ray.

## Technical Advantages

PyTorch is built on GPU-accelerated tensor computations and an automatic differentiation engine. Its dynamic computation graphs allow model structure modifications during runtime. The Pythonic interface works seamlessly with standard debugging tools. CUDA support enables efficient multi-GPU training capabilities.

## Industry Adoption

PyTorch Conference 2025 attracted over 3,400 attendees and gained 16 new industry members including Snowflake and Qualcomm. According to reports, 85% of deep learning papers at top AI conferences use PyTorch. Influential models like OpenAI's early GPT versions and Stable Diffusion were developed on this framework.

## First Model with MNIST

This tutorial will build a handwritten digit recognition model using MNIST dataset in PyCharm. It will explain tensor concepts and core deep learning workflows step-by-step. The backpropagation mechanism will be visualized during model training process for better understanding.

## Dynamic Computation Graphs

PyTorch's define-by-run approach builds computation graphs as code executes. These graphs map all mathematical operations including weight multiplications, bias additions and activation functions. During training, these steps are traced backward to calculate each weight's contribution to errors for optimization.

## Python Integration

PyTorch offers a Pythonic interface with standard control flow and readable syntax. Its NumPy-like tensor operations ensure compatibility. Direct usage with Python debuggers and print statements provides significant advantages, especially for research and prototyping phases of projects.

## Comprehensive NN Library

PyTorch provides a rich neural network module with predefined layers, loss functions and activation functions. Its modular design enables custom architectures. TorchScript allows optimized execution while ONNX support ensures interoperability with other frameworks for model deployment.

## Extensive Ecosystem

Beyond being just a framework, PyTorch encompasses a complete ecosystem covering the entire AI project lifecycle from data collection to deployment. It works seamlessly with specialized libraries like Transformers as well as Python's broad data science toolset.

## Academic Preference

PyTorch remains the most preferred framework in academic research. Its flexible architecture enables researchers to quickly prototype new ideas. Groundbreaking models like Meta's Llama were developed on this platform. Linux Foundation reports over 70% usage in AI research implementations.

## Production Support

PyTorch provides comprehensive support from research to production. It offers deployment options for mobile and edge devices. TorchServe simplifies model serving while ONNX format support ensures interoperability with other frameworks in production environments.

## Future Outlook

PyTorch's open-source nature and strong community support indicate it will maintain its leadership in AI ecosystem. The addition of large-scale projects in 2025 signals growing enterprise adoption. It continues to be the most practical and well-supported starting point for newcomers to deep learning.

## Sources covering this story

- https://blog.jetbrains.com/pycharm/2026/07/pytorch-tutorial-for-deep-learning/ — 

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._