Machine Learning (ML) vs Artificial Intelligence (AI) are popular emerging technologies that represent useful solutions to modern business challenges.
Artificial intelligence and machines are now a part of everyday life, and while both are related, they come with their own differences.
Let’s explore the basic concepts of both terms before diving into the comparison and determining which is right for your business.
Machine Learning
Machine Learning essentially enables machines to learn without human supervision and continuous programming.The technology can be defined as a branch of AI, but it is more specific.
The algorithms used in ML are independent from various scenarios and decide the outcome on their own. These programs learn from various experiences and their algorithms can be modified accordingly.
ML rose in popularity when it became apparent that teaching computers how to learn was more efficient than to teach them how to perform each task and provide them the data needed to implement those tasks.
The invention of the Internet also resulted in a massive potential for information storage. Machines now have the ability to manage large volumes of data that they could not access before due to limitations surrounding storage. In fact, the amount of data available today is too much for humans to process.
Taking these factors into account, it became clear that instead of teaching machines to do things, a more practical option was to design them to think for themselves.
They could then access the amount of data available online and learn. E-commerce is a common example that explains how ML applications work in the real world.
Furthermore, ML is capable of looking at text and evaluating whether the content is positive or negative.
Notably, natural language processing in AI makes use of Machine Learning to provide automated customer service that is just as effective as human customer support.
Let’s consider the process of purchasing something from Amazon.
As a customer, when you browse through the products and select a specific item, your record is kept by the website. The next time you visit Amazon, you would be offered similar or related products based on insights from your previous purchase. Algorithms monitor your activity and automatically learn what to offer you so that you can make maximum purchases.
Amazon uses ML algorithms to aggregate and analyze purchasing data on products to predict demand and improve their supply line accordingly. Apart from leveraging ML’s predictive powers, the company utilizes technology to counter fraudulent purchases and learn customer purchasing patterns.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, as evident from the term, is a combination of the words ‘Artificial’ and ‘Intelligence’.
It refers to a non-natural ability to think or understand something. We can define it as a field of computer science in which technology helps machines to learn human intelligence functions and practice them.
Intelligent machines need not be programmed to carry out every single task, but they could work and react like humans.
Think along the lines of teaching a child how to solve a math problem and getting a reaction the next time you repeat the same command.
In case of AI, you would be doing the same where a machine is concerned with just a few lines of code.
For example, IBM uses AI in various software programs to learn whether or not employees are keeping up with new technologies and trends in the market.
AI programs are responsible for suggesting potentially new and useful tools that can be used to expedite business processes.
For instance, HR departments can use intelligent programs to learn about job applicants through their CVs without having to go through each document manually.
Another example is FiveRivers Technologies, a Pakistan-based software organization that specializes in emerging technologies.The company creates smart applications backed by AI techniques for local and international clients.
These smart applications focus on independent learning and offer accurate results based on their learning patterns from the given data. Since launching its operations in 2003, the organization has achieved impressive results in its AI-focused undertakings.
Machine Learning vs Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence consists of techniques or algorithms independent of learning and improving themselves from their environment. The technology basically refers to enhancing the chances of success and coming up with solutions utilizing neural networks.
It has several goals and its learning patterns imitate human intelligence or cognitive abilities.
Some real-life examples of AI implementation include smartphones, drones, social media feeds, smart banking, online ads networks, etc.
You would be surprised to know the importance of the role of AI especially when it comes to autopilot these days.
According to a report by the New York Times, a Boeing plane on an average just involves 7 minutes of human steering mostly during the landing and takeoff phases.
The same technology is used to power driverless cars and make them appear as normal vehicles on the streets, but with extra safety measures.
Machine Learning, as discussed, could be viewed as a subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence.
ML consists of techniques that enhance the ability of machines to learn just like humans using various rule-based systems, logic, and decision trees. It primarily learns from working based on available data and focuses on improving accuracy.
Machine Learning plays an important role in image recognition, medical diagnosis, speech recognition, classification, prediction techniques, extraction of useful data, etc. One of the best examples of Machine Learning from our daily life could be bots providing online customer support.
Given the context, it can be very challenging for an organization to ensure 24/7 availability of a live representative. In these cases, bots are given the task to handle customer services.
These bots can be trained by leveraging previous data to handle new queries and learn from anomalies. Machine learning algorithms help these bots to learn better and quicker without involving any human errors.
Concluding Remarks
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence have become an essential part of today’s market and experts are looking at a potential increase in their usage in the coming years.
The incredible rise in the number of IoT devices has also impacted the industry and every sector is looking forward to effectively making use of these technologies.
Encouraging innovation would lead us towards amazing breakthroughs. Learning from previous data patterns and events will help enterprises conquer new challenges and find innovative solutions to problems.
Although achieving maximum accuracy or technology competing for human cognitive abilities seems like a dream for now, we are definitely on our way to realizing it. These technologies are evolving each day, improving themselves through different scenarios.
Businesses and industries investing Research & Development in these fields will undoubtedly reap the benefits in the years to come.
It is all about exploring new opportunities and preparing to make the most of them before the competition, and this is where AI and ML are useful.