Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous. It is a game-changer for every industry. From lending institutions to the health sector, the traces of AI are everywhere. AI-backed solutions have changed the way we all have been living life. The best examples to understand the progress in AI are snack vending machines that serve you by evaluating your facial expressions, chatbots to handle customer queries, and cameras that identify the spots where crimes are likely to happen.
AI dates from the 20th century, and it has come a long way. Undoubtedly, AI has made our lives better, yet it is continuing to evolve. You will likely see significant improvements in technology. There is another term you need to know about – machine learning. People often confuse AI with machine learning. Although they are related technologies, both are different terms.
AI is a broader concept that can simulate human intelligence, whereas machine learning is an application that allows machines to learn from data without programming. The goal of AI is to develop smart computers featured with cognitive skills to solve complex problems while the purpose of machine learning is to enable a machine to give you an accurate output by processing the feed data.
Contrary to AI, machine learning has a limited scope. Machine learning can perform only specific tasks at which it is trained; for instance, some chatbots cannot answer the queries that do not fit the data fed in them. Machine learning focuses on accuracy while the AI system tries to maximize the chances of success, reducing the involvement of human beings.
Machine learning sounds like the trickiest job. If you are looking to get your foot wet, you should consider the following tips:
Understand the basics
You need to know the prerequisites Linear Algebra, Multivariate Calculus, Statistics, and Python. However, if you are a novice, do not need to worry because you need to master these topics to learn it. You will need both linear algebra and calculus to learn it. However, how deep you will go to understand these topics depends on your role as a data scientist. As data plays a paramount role in machine learning, you will have to spend most of your time in collecting and filtering data.
This is why you must know statistics. It will help you gain knowledge about collecting, analyzing, and presenting data. You will understand tricks to simplify complex data. Therefore, it is not surprising that you need to know the statistics. The most essential concepts you will learn in statistics are probability, hypothesis testing, and regression and correlation analysis.
The third most important thing you need to learn for machine learning is language. Although R and Scala can help you, try to learn Python. This is going mainstream for machine learning.
Learn machine learning concepts
You cannot move onto concepts until you learn the prerequisites of machine learning. You should know about the terminologies of machine learning that include but not limited to model, training, and prediction. A model is called a hypothesis. You will make a representation by analyzing limited sources of data by applying machine learning algorithms. This representation will be as a basis for reasoning to make a further investigation to arrive at a reasonable conclusion.
Another concept you will need to understand is the feature. A feature is an individual measurable property of a phenomenon observed. The main task in machine learning is recognizing patterns and classifying them for regression, and this is why you will need a feature. It is paramount for you to choose an independent and discriminating part to identify patterns. They can be both numeric and structural. It is used as data to feed in it.
Target is like a label. If the feature is input, the label is an output.
For instance, the feature of fruit will be its color, shape, taste, and the like, and the target will be the name of fruit like apple, orange, guava, and so forth.
Practice machine learning
Now that you have got to know the basics and concepts. The next thing is to understand how to practice machine learning. The most time-consuming part of machine learning is data collection, analysis, integration, filtering, and processing. Of course, it will require much of your attention to make new and reliable patterns. You will need top-notch data, and unfortunately, a large amount of data is irrelevant.
This is why it takes a lot of time. To practice machine learning, you should learn various models. Make sure that you practice it on real datasets. You will understand which data is suitable for a particular situation. Data extrapolation will help you have an idea of how it works in different situations. You will also need to learn methods that apply to other models. This is a must to interpret the results.
Use machine learning platforms
You must have machine learning processors. You cannot do it without such platforms. However, if you have the one, try to improve the processes. You should have the latest platforms because a team of professionals can handle various types of challenges you come across.
Check your derived data
Sharing your machine learning algorithms with anyone can let them see your data. However, it is not the case with every informatics company, for instance, Elsevier. Make sure that you have a solid strategy.
If you are looking to learn machine learning, you should follow the tips mentioned below. With these tips, you can make the most of it. The concept of machine learning is not new, nor will it fade away. Therefore, various technological companies are leaving no stone unturned to invest in it. Some companies are not fighting shy of seeking funding sources from direct lenders who understand your situation and try hard to provide the best services to you with less hassle.