[macrolocal]

Well, the paper uses gradient descent to minimize that difference, like auto-encoders do.

[crosen99]

Gradient descent is just how neural networks (including auto-encoders) optimize parameters to minimize the loss function. They do this using derivatives to descend down the slope of the function. Autodiff is one way to compute the derivatives. Maybe we’re saying the same thing.

[macrolocal]

Yep, I was just asking Adam* to justify his loss function.

*pun intended :)