Unless you are living under a rock, you will know about machine learning. The new technology is in and is talked about almost everywhere. Well, not everywhere, because many people still do not know what that is. But it is becoming a common topic of the discussion gradually. Thanks to the affordable Internet packages with services like Spectrum internet assist, one cannot stay unaware of what’s happening around the world for long. Same goes for the machine learning technology.
Today’s blog aims at throwing light on what actually is machine-learning technology. And why is it becoming the talk of the town?
What is Machine Learning Technology?
Machine learning is a concept linked to Artificial Intelligence. Machine learning refers to the capability of producing machines that can learn without having to program them. This is a rather advanced approach towards Artificial Intelligence. It is now the need of the hour to create machines that can learn themselves based on past experiences. But it is not as easy as it may sound. There is a whole scientific and complex process that goes into making the machines learn as humans do.
Machine learning involves the classical style of programming. But that is just one bit of it. There are a lot of statistics involved in it as well. However, machine learning is so popular in some parts of the world, that it is becoming an important subset of AI.
Here are a couple of more things that will help you get to know machine learning better.
Machine Learning vs. Data Mining
Many people confuse machine learning with data mining. Sometimes people also think that both are the same. But they are not. There are differences between the too. Machine learning involves a lot of statistical tools. Apart from that, one needs a good knowledge of Math if he wishes to excel in the field of machine learning. In fact, the knowledge of math will help you as much in machine learning as would knowing English would in an English Literature course.
However, you cannot say that data mining and machine learning have nothing in common. There are a couple of crossovers between the two fields. But the main distinction remains that data mining involves drilling down into a dataset to look for information. On the other hand, machine learning is about using data to predict future outcomes.
Various Types of Machine Learning
Now that the difference between data mining and machine learning is clear, it is time to introduce you to the various types of machine learning. The major way of dividing the various forms of machine learning is by looking into how you want the machines to learn. There are four main approaches to divide machine learning on this basis:
- Supervised learning.
- Semi-supervised learning.
- Reinforcement learning.
- Unsupervised learning.
Supervised learning means that you train the data. You focus on the desired output when it comes to supervised learning. The spam filters are a good example of this form of machine learning. The semi-supervised learning refers to a fewer amount of desired outputs. Reinforcement learning, on the other hand, implies that you reward the artificial agent based on what actions it performs. Unsupervised learning means that training data won’t necessarily have clear outputs.
Technologies that You Should know to Excel in Machine Learning
If you want to excel in the field of machine learning or are planning to pursue a career in it, here are the technologies that you would need to know. These will help you to build a career in the field of Machine Learning.
Programming Languages
It is mandatory for you to learn and know about the most commonly used programming languages. Knowing about only one programming language won’t be enough if you want to pursue a career in Machine Learning. Each programming language serves a different purpose. Therefore, knowing about one won’t suffice.
Distributed Computing
The amount of points used to extract data has increased in this era. Experts are often found working on large chunks of data that is spread over millions of rows. This is how complex the field is. Coming back to the data, you would have realized that it is not possible to view this huge data on one computer. Therefore, experts make use of multiple systems to extract results or information out of the data. Hence, distributed computing.
Other than that, you should also know how to use the Unix Tools. Not only this but algorithms also form an integral part of Machine Learning. And rightfully so. Machine Learning is the language of algorithms and programming.
The best part about these technologies is that you could be sitting in another state and operate from wherever you are. For example, an expert might be using the Spectrum Florida services to work for a client residing in Massachusetts. It is that convenient!