AI Glossary
Machine learning (ML)
ML, machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence in which a model detects patterns in training data instead of following hand-written rules, and uses them to predict outcomes for new cases.
- The model learns from data, not from hand-written rules.
- The quality and representativeness of the training data determine the results.
- Once trained, the model is applied to new data during inference.
Machine learning inverts classical programming: instead of writing the rules, we supply examples, and the model works out the relationships between the inputs and the expected output on its own. This process is called training, and its raw material is training data.
A well-trained model generalizes — that is, it handles cases it never saw during training. Its effectiveness depends on the quality of the data and the choice of method, and the most popular family of models today is neural networks.
Related terms
Related articles