Machine learning is an algorithm or model that learns patterns in data and then predicts similar patterns in new data. For example, if you want to classify children's books, it would mean that instead of setting up precise rules for what constitutes a children's book, developers can feed the computer hundreds of examples of children's books. The computer finds the patterns in these books and uses that pattern to identify future books in that category. Essentially, ML is a subset of artificial intelligence that enables computers to learn without being explicitly programmed with predefined rules. It focuses on the development of computer programs that can teach themselves to grow and change when exposed to new data.