Artificial Intelligence vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are all the rage these days — but with all the buzzwords swirling around them, it’s easy to get lost and not see the difference between hype and reality. For example, just because an algorithm is used to calculate information doesn’t mean the label “machine learning” or “artificial intelligence” should be applied.   

Before we can even define AI or machine learning, though, I want to take a step back and define a concept that is at the core of both AI and machine learning: algorithm.

An algorithm is a set of rules to be followed when solving problems. In machine learning, algorithms take in data and perform calculations to find an answer. The calculations can be very simple or they can be more on the complex side. Algorithms should deliver the correct answer in the most efficient manner. What good is an algorithm if it takes longer than a human would to analyze the data? What good is it if it provides incorrect information?

Algorithms need to be trained to learn how to classify and process information. The efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm are dependent on how well the algorithm was trained. Using an algorithm to calculate something does not automatically mean machine learning or AI was being used. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. 

Unfortunately, today, we often see the machine learning and AI buzzwords being thrown around to indicate that an algorithm was used to analyze data and make a prediction. Using an algorithm to predict an outcome of an event is not machine learning. Using the outcome of your prediction to improve future predictions is.

AI and machine learning are often used interchangeably, especially in the realm of big data. But these aren’t the same thing, and it is important to understand how these can be applied differently.  

Artificial intelligence is a broader concept than machine learning, which addresses the use of computers to mimic the cognitive functions of humans. When machines carry out tasks based on algorithms in an “intelligent” manner, that is AI. Machine learning is a subset of AI and focuses on the ability of machines to receive a set of data and learn for themselves, changing algorithms as they learn more about the information they are processing. 

Training computers to think like humans is achieved partly through the use of neural networks.