Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that involves the development of algorithms and statistical models, which allow computers to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. What makes machine learning unique from other data science techniques is its ability to continually learn and adapt based on the latest data. Some key features of machine learning include:
-
Predictive modeling: Data is used by machine learning algorithms to create models that forecast future events.
-
Generalization: Algorithms for machine learning are capable of discovering broad patterns in data that can be used to analyze fresh data.
-
Personalization: Machine learning algorithms can assess and make use of enormous volumes of data to deliver more personalized experiences.
-
Ability to identify trends: Machine learning can identify trends and predict outcomes with higher accuracy than methods that rely strictly on conventional statistics or human intuition.
-
Competitive differentiator: Machine learning has become a significant competitive differentiator for many companies, such as Facebook, Google, and Uber, who make it a central part of their operations.
One area of concern with machine learning is explainability, or the ability to be clear about what the machine learning models are doing and how they make decisions. However, with greater access to data and computation power, machine learning is becoming more ubiquitous every day and will soon be integrated into many facets of human life.
