What Is Machine Learning?
By Karthick Selvam · Published
Machine learning is a branch of AI in which systems learn patterns from data instead of following explicitly programmed rules.
Main types
Supervised learning learns from labelled examples (classification, regression). Unsupervised learning finds structure in unlabelled data (clustering). Reinforcement learning learns by trial and reward.
The workflow
Define the problem, gather and prepare data, engineer features, train and validate models, deploy, and monitor performance over time.
Common algorithms
Linear and logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, gradient boosting and neural networks.
Business uses
Forecasting, fraud detection, churn prediction, recommendations, quality inspection and document classification.
Frequently asked questions
Is machine learning the same as AI?
Machine learning is a subset of AI, and currently the most widely used approach.
Related programmes
- Agentic AI with LangChain & LangGraph
- Building AI Agents with LangGraph & CrewAI
- Multi-Agent Systems: Design & Orchestration
Turn this into a team capability
Our corporate programmes cover topics like this hands-on, mapped to your stack.
AI & GenAI guides
Generative AI vs Traditional AI: What Is the Difference?
Traditional AI mostly predicts or classifies. Generative AI produces new content. Both have a place in the enterprise.
What Is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering is the practice of writing instructions that get reliable, useful output from a language model.
What Is ChatGPT and How Does It Relate to Other AI Assistants?
ChatGPT is a conversational AI assistant from OpenAI, built on large language models. It is one of several similar assistants.