Machine Learning vs AI: Are They Same?

Machine Learning vs Artificial Intelligence

Photo by Franck V. on Unsplash

Despite making use of these technologies, many people are not actually aware of the difference between ML and AI. AI and ML are related but not the same and should be defined individually.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a man-made intelligence technology that enables computers to function as human beings. Actually, it is a little difficult to give a proper definition of Artificial intelligence.

According to “Skymind” Stat John McCarthy widely recognized as one of the godfathers of AI, defined it as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.”

Other definitions of Artificial intelligence:

• Tasks performed by computers that are normally being performed by human beings with the involvement of visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.
• The capability of machines to perform with intelligence like human beings.

AI services can be classified into Vertical or Horizontal AIVertical AI

The motivation of these services is to focus on a single job, which may be scheduling a meeting or automative repetitive work, etc. As they only focus on a single job, so they are able to perform that particular job very well.

Horizontal AI

These services are capable enough that they can manage multiple tasks. Cortana, Siri, and Alexa could be considered as the best examples of Horizontal AI. These services answer questions accurately, like “What is the temperature in New York?” or “Call Alex”.

So it could be said that AI focuses on functioning automatically according to the human mind or more accurately than the human mind. AI is considered to be the automated-decision-making system, and importantly, algorithms are needed here to learn from experience. And this is where Machine learning comes into play.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is an application of Artificial intelligence in which machines learn on their own on the basis of previous experience. The term “Machine learning” is itself giving its introduction.

ML could be considered the subset of Artificial intelligence, just a technique to realize Artificial intelligence.

There are basically three types of Machine Learning algorithms.

A supervised Machine Learning algorithm

Supervised machine learning is where you have both input and output variable and then an algorithm is used there so that the output variable can be imagined.

Unsupervised Machine Learning

Unsupervised Machine learning is where you just have an input variable instead of an output variable. Here the data is grouped into groups so that the more information regarding the data could be gathered

There is a requirement of a special algorithm for processing Machine learning so that it could teach machines.

Reinforcement Learning

This type of Machine Learning algorithms is known for making software and machines to know the ideal behavior themselves within the context so that its performance could be increased.

In short

Artificial intelligence is a big concept where machines can function smartly.

And,

Machine learning is the application of Artificial intelligence where we have to input data and machines learn and give the outcomes automatically according to the experience.

So, we can say that as Machine learning is a subset of Artificial intelligence, hence all ML could be considered AI and AI does not explain ML.

History and Origin

Artificial Intelligence

Although AI is known as the latest technology according to the myths it is prevailing among us for a long time. According to the Greek myths, there used to be a mechanical man that was created in order to imitate the behavior of a human being. Earlier European computers were just “logical machines” but with the passage, these computers were reproduced and became intelligent.

AI has changed within time and as of now, instead of working on complex situations, AI has understood how the human mind actually works and has started making decisions like human beings.

Machine Learning

There were two important happenings that led to the inception of Machine Learning.

Firstly, in 1959, Arthur Samuel realized that there should be innovation in the intelligence of computers. He realized that instead of training computers everything about the world, computers should be made in a way in which they can learn themselves.

Secondly, when the internet arrived, there was a demand for a huge amount of digital information.

After the emergence of these innovations, engineers realized that computers should be taken a step further. That they could be plugged into the internet to have access to information that would enable them to learn about themselves and behaving like human beings.

In Summary

In a nutshell, it could be said that machine learning is a subset of Artificial intelligence in that both are related to knowledge and intelligence.

Almost all applications today are ML-based and we can see a business using ML-based applications in order to run their business smartly.

Machine Learning vs AI: Are They Same? was originally published in Hacker Noon on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.