Machine Learning is a set of algorithms and techniques used to build prediction and classification models from known data sets. Although there are many types of Machine Learning algorithms, they all share a similar operating structure: a set of data whose classification is known in advance is presented as inputs to the algorithm. With this correctly classified data, the algorithm adjusts a series of parameters of a model so that in addition to classifying the input data, it is able to classify new data whose classification is not known beforehand.
Machine Learning is one of the most successful fields of Artificial Intelligence. Although many of its techniques and algorithms have been known for a very long time, it is only recently that Machine Learning has experienced a real revolution. This is due to the computing power of today’s computers combined with the large amount of data on any subject that currently exists. So much so that when people talk about Artificial Intelligence in the media, most of the time they are actually referring to Machine Learning.