Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Machine Learning
Definition
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of AI that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. It focuses on the development of algorithms that can access data and use it to learn for themselves.
Why It Matters
ML is the engine behind most modern AI applications. It allows us to build systems that can recognize patterns, make predictions, and make decisions based on data, which is far more powerful and scalable than writing explicit rules.
Contextual Example
A spam filter is a classic example of machine learning. It learns to distinguish between spam and non-spam emails by being trained on a large dataset of examples.
Common Misunderstandings
- Machine learning is not the same as AI; it is a way to achieve AI.
- A machine learning model is the output of the training process—it is the "learned" program that can make predictions on new data.