Machine Learning: What It Is, and What It Isn't

There has been a great deal of talk lately in the media about machine learning (ML). We've all seen the news clips of chess playing computers, self-driving cars, and emerging technologies like facial recognition, but what exactly is ML, and how does it work? As machines take on a greater share of control over our lives, it is important to understand what machine learning actually is, and more importantly, what it isn't. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI), and AI is a branch of computer science. In traditional programming, you give the computer an input - let's say 1 1.