A processor includes a front end to decode an instruction, an allocator to pass the instruction to a nearest neighbor logic unit (NNLU) to execute the instruction, and a retirement unit to retire the instruction. The NNLU includes logic to determine input of the instruction for which nearest neighbors will be calculated, transform the input, retrieve candidate atoms for which the nearest neighbors will be calculated, compute distance between the candidate atoms and the input, and determine the nearest neighbors for the input based upon the computed distance.