It's been pretty clear for a while now that data has enormous financial and strategic value.. But that doesn't mean code _isn't_ the future. You really don't have much value out of one without the other, at least in the age where most of our data is not easily understood.
The biggest issue with our learning algorithms is that they are incredibly complicated and require high levels of mathematical understanding. The number of people driving forward machine-learning is small simply because it is such a difficult subject. There are many more people aggregating large and interesting collections of data. I think by releasing TensorFlow Google is encouraging data-collection built around their software; making it easier for a majority of people to benefit from machine learning while ensuring the continuation of their own product, code, data-collection, and ecosystem.
The biggest issue with our learning algorithms is that they are incredibly complicated and require high levels of mathematical understanding. The number of people driving forward machine-learning is small simply because it is such a difficult subject. There are many more people aggregating large and interesting collections of data. I think by releasing TensorFlow Google is encouraging data-collection built around their software; making it easier for a majority of people to benefit from machine learning while ensuring the continuation of their own product, code, data-collection, and ecosystem.