3 Machine Learning Trends That Are Transforming Industries

"Machine learning" is a term that's heard more often in startup and big data circles than "artificial intelligence", and interestingly enough, Google Trends confirms what's already heard through the technological grapevine: While most business laypeople have heard the term, they're more interested in what machine learning (ML) can do, as opposed to how it works. While it could be argued that both are important – even for business people – this article will focus on five current applications of ML that are likely to be important parts of an expanding trend. Most of us are familiar with Amazon's now-famous, ubiquitous "you might also like…" These suggested products aren't merely based off of randomizing products in a similar category and putting them up as a "best shot," those suggestions are the result of millions and millions of online transactions through Amazon's eCommerce platform – crunched and analyzed to discern what a user like you (geography, account history, engagement on the page, cart value) might like. Given the 200-and-something million products that Amazon offers, that's far too much information for a human being to calibrate individually over the course of 200 years, never mind in real time. Companies like Pandora and Spotify are also famously employing recommendation engines, undoubtedly contributing to their success in the domain of streaming music.