A method for pruning weights of an artificial neural network based on a learned threshold includes determining a pruning threshold for pruning a first set of pre-trained weights of multiple pre-trained weights based on a function of a classification loss and a regularization loss. Weights are pruned from the first set of pre-trained weights when a first value of the weight is less than the pruning threshold. A second set of pre-trained weights of the multiple pre-trained weights is fine-tuned or adjusted in response to a second value of each pre-trained weight in the second set of pre-trained weights being greater than the pruning threshold.