Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for implementing associative memory. In one aspect a system comprises an associative memory neural network to process an input to generate an output that defines an energy corresponding to the input. A reading subsystem retrieves stored information from the associative memory neural network. The reading subsystem performs operations including receiving a given, i.e. query, input and retrieving a data element from the associative memory neural network that is associated with the given input. The retrieving is performed by iteratively adjusting the given input using the associative memory neural network.