Machine Learning: A Micro Primer with a Lawyer's Perspective

"Machine Learning at its most basic is the practice of using algorithms to parse data, learn from it, and then make a determination or prediction about something in the world." The first step to understanding machine learning is understanding what kinds of problems it intends to solve, based on the foregoing definition. It is principally concerned with mapping data to mathematical models -- allowing us to make inferences (predictions) about measurable phenomena in the world. From the machine learning model's predictions, we can then make rational, informed decisions with increased empirical certainty. Take, for example, the adaptive brightness on your phone screen. Modern phones have front- and rear-facing cameras that allow the phone to constantly detect the intensity of ambient light, and then adjust the brightness of the screen to make it more pleasant for viewing.