--- title: Machine learning, explained - The Hustle description: This subcategory of AI gets name-checked all the time. What is it? image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/669213695-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-machine-learning_20230720214439.webp --- # Machine learning, explained ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: July 21, 2023 Updated: October 11, 2023 Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are also used interchangeably, but the two computer science terms are different. ![machine](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/669213695-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-machine-learning_20230720214439.webp?width=595&height=400&name=669213695-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-machine-learning_20230720214439.webp) AI is when a machine can perform a task that would have once required human intelligence. Machine learning is a subfield of AI. - Got it? No? Let a computer scientist [explain it all to you](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q87K1WaoFI) like an eight-year-old. #### **The term…** … was coined by computer scientist Arthur Samuel in the 1950s as “the [field of study](https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/machine-learning-explained) that gives computers the ability to learn without explicitly being programmed.” This is done by feeding machines a bunch of data, which they use to identify patterns and make predictions or suggestions. By feeding a computer several checkers games, Samuel taught it to play well enough to [defeat](https://history.computer.org/pioneers/samuel.html) a human champ. Other examples include: - Netflix and YouTube recommendations - Email spam filters - Predictive text Accuracy increases over time, and the better the data, the better the outcome. #### **A few methods include…** … supervised machine learning, in which machines get labeled data (e.g., pictures of cats and dogs, labeled by humans, to teach a computer to identify dogs). Unsupervised machine learning is when machines identify patterns from unlabeled data. For example, if given unlabeled customer data, a system could [cluster](https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/machine-learning-tutorial/supervised-and-unsupervised-learning#reallife_applications_of_unsupervised_learning) customers into segments based on their behavior. Reinforcement trains models by telling them when they’ve made the correct choice. This is how you’d get a computer to excel at checkers, but it’s also how smart vacuums [navigate](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reinforcement-learning-coming-home-called-yours-bill-schmarzo/) your home. #### **Are there any issues with machine learning?** Machines can sort through massive amounts of data faster than we ever could, but: - They can perform in unintended or unexpected ways, rendering them useless or harmful. See [this post](https://www.aiweirdness.com/dont-use-ai-detectors-for-anything-important/) from AI researcher Janelle Shane about how AI cheating detectors are often wrong. - Because they’re trained by humans, they can also carry [human biases](https://hbr.org/2019/10/what-do-we-do-about-the-biases-in-ai). For more: Check out this cool [visual explainer](http://www.r2d3.us/visual-intro-to-machine-learning-part-1/?ref=cloudhiker.net). Topics: [Ai](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/ai) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![‘AI is not a writer:’ Why the writers’ strike deal matters beyond Hollywood](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2028008005-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-AI-WGA_20230927223315.webp) ### ‘AI is not a writer:’ Why the writers’ strike deal matters beyond Hollywood - ![Getty Images’ AI play](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1235356694-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-woman-taking-photo_20230925214039.webp) ### Getty Images’ AI play - ![AI-generated foraging books seem dangerous, right?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1714231094-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-mushrooms_20230830223519.webp) ### AI-generated foraging books seem dangerous, right? - ![When AI starts teaching AI, models may ‘collapse’](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/2069924254-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-bottripping_20230829215041.webp) ### When AI starts teaching AI, models may ‘collapse’ - ![CAPTCHAs get weirder as AI gets smarter](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/440738447-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-captcha_20230808232842.webp) ### CAPTCHAs get weirder as AI gets smarter - ![Using AI for the perfect fit](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/211713850-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-truetoform_20230807230535.webp) ### Using AI for the perfect fit - ![Big Tech’s thirst for AI dominance may bring literal thirst for everyone else](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1680278072-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Water-Usage_20230803223203.webp) ### Big Tech’s thirst for AI dominance may bring literal thirst for everyone else - ![How to make photos confusing to AI](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/911911672-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-confused-robot_20230730235528.webp) ### How to make photos confusing to AI - ![WormGPT is ChatGPT, but evil — how much should it worry you?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/622601070-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-wormgpt_20230718230257.webp) ### WormGPT is ChatGPT, but evil — how much should it worry you? - ![Would you get inked by AI?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1090175375-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-AITats_20230712224149.webp) ### Would you get inked by AI? Pop up for Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Subscribe to The Hustle Daily Newsletter Get the 5-minute news brief keeping 2.5M+ innovators in the loop. Always free. 100% fresh. No bullsh*t. JOIN FREE ### 100% Free CRM Nurture and grow your business with customer relationship management software. Signup for a free account Close modal ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Juliet Bennett Rylah", "url" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah" }, "datePublished" : "2023-07-21T22:50:26.000Z", "headline" : "Machine learning, explained", "image" : [ "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/669213695-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-machine-learning_20230720214439.webp" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/machine-learning-explained", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" } } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "#article", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Juliet Bennett Rylah", "url" : "https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah" }, "dateModified" : "2023-10-11T19:16:39+0000", "datePublished" : "2023-07-21T22:50:26+0000", "headline" : "Machine learning, explained", "image" : [ "https://7355427.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7355427/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/669213695-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-machine-learning_20230720214439.webp" ], "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 112, "url" : "https://fs.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/Blog%202021/Images/Logos/HubSpot%20Logo%20112X112.svg", "width" : 112 }, "name" : "HubSpot", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.facebook.com/hubspot", "https://twitter.com/hubspot" ], "url" : "https://www.hubspot.com" }, "speakable" : { "@type" : "SpeakableSpecification", "xPath" : [ "//title", "/html/head/meta[@name='description']/@content" ] } } ```