What Is Machine Learning?

This is the first post in our series What Is AI?, where we unpack all the terminology and concepts behind AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude.

This series is specifically designed for non-technical readers—meaning you won’t find a single equation or anything requiring even a high school math refresher.

Before diving into the exciting developments you’ve been hearing about, we need to briefly explain a foundational concept: machine learning.

Defining Key Terms

Our job in this post is to define two essential terms: machine learning and machine learning model.

Machine learning is a method that allows computers to learn from examples. Rather than being explicitly programmed step-by-step, the computer is shown a lot of data and learns to recognize patterns independently. It then uses these patterns to make predictions or decisions.

A machine learning model is the product of this learning process—think of it as the computer’s brain after it’s learned from the data. Software engineers and data scientists create these models, enabling computers to do useful things like predicting weather patterns, detecting spam emails, or suggesting your next favorite movie.

Machine Learning in Action

Let’s explore some practical examples.

One of the earliest and most impactful uses of machine learning was by the United States Postal Service (USPS), which began using computer vision to read handwritten addresses on mail as early as the 1960s.

Engineers trained computers by showing them thousands of handwritten addresses. Over time, the computers learned to recognize handwriting patterns. The result was a machine learning model capable of converting handwritten addresses into digital data, drastically speeding up mail sorting compared to manual methods. This approach saved countless hours and improved accuracy significantly.

Another familiar example is Netflix’s recommendation system. Machine learning models analyze your viewing history and preferences, comparing them with similar data from millions of other viewers. By finding patterns in this vast dataset, Netflix can predict what shows or movies you might enjoy next—helping you find your new favorite series effortlessly.

What’s Next?

In our next post, we'll explore Large Language Models (LLMs), which are at the heart of today's AI revolution. But for now, here's what to remember:

• Machine learning is how computers learn by studying many examples.
• A machine learning model is the useful tool that results from this learning process, enabling computers to perform diverse tasks.

Stay tuned as we continue making AI accessible and understandable, one concept at a time!