MACHINE LEARNING
Getting started
Robots! We are pretty sure most of you will be thinking about robots when you hear the term “Machine Learning”. Or at least you are now.
Machine learning is the core subarea of artificial intelligence and most of the innovations and developments in the modern-day technology is one way or another connected to it. But does that mean that it is just that? Or is it something far bigger than what we see?
What is Machine learning?
In simple words, machine learning is teaching a computer to answer questions on its own. Just like how parents teach their children, we give data to a computer and train it to predict outcomes of different situations or programs with it. It is done by providing different algorithms which the system can correct and improve by itself under various circumstances and mimic human decision-making or intelligence.
The term Machine learning was first put forward in 1959 by Arthur Samuel, a pioneer in the field of Artificial intelligence and it has grown and evolved through many scientists and researchers through the decades.
Many people think that Machine learning and Artificial intelligence as the same thing, but machine learning is just a subset of artificial intelligence-which comprises neural networks, deep learning, etc. Machine learning consists of subsets like Speech recognition, Image recognition, and various others.
DID YOU KNOW: Machine learning can predict earthquakes- Scientists has spent years trying to come up with a fast disaster prediction and analysis system and now, The National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering is coming up with a system that can predict an earthquake and detect its strength in just 3 seconds, which can be used to warn people early and save many lives.
Current trends
Machine learning is growing day by day. From your phone camera’s face detection to your YouTube recommendations, Personal assistants like Siri and Alexa, and even Robotic surgery. ML is everywhere. The most attractive feature is that it is an ocean, both in terms of applications and opportunities. Now, what are the trending areas in machine learning?
● IoT and Machine Learning: IoT has grown so much in the past decade. It binds many devices together enabling them to communicate to each other and work together. These devices collect data, which can be used to feed algorithms that result in better ML models and innovations.
● Cyber Security & Fraud Detection: Machine learning has many applications in Cyber Security. Viruses, cyber threats, cyberbullying… everything can be identified and dealt with by ML.
● AutoML: Automated Machine Learning is a tool designed especially for programmers who aren’t used to the ocean of machine learning. It allows us to build ML models through the data of previous constructions which increases efficiency and productivity.
DID YOU KNOW: Machine Learning helped the Avengers- ML played a big part in major movies during CGI. The mind-blowing shots of the space, realistic accessories of the superheroes and even sometimes converting day shots into night time were done through machine learning models.
Resources
So, want to dive into the ocean of Machine Learning? Let us give you some suggestions where you can learn to swim:
● Machine Learning Crash Course — Google AI
● How to Learn ML for Humans by Gopikrishnan Sasikumar
Books: -
● Introduction to Statistical Learning (available for free offline)
● Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn and TensorFlow
Events and Competitions
As you learn more and more about machine learning models, it’s a good idea to test out your abilities. This will not only help you practice your skills but also discover more about various other ways and methods in the field.
Events are one of the best ways to test your knowledge and flex your muscles. There are a bunch of websites and platforms for you to do this. Take a look at it:
● AWS machine learning engineer nanodegree program
● Amazon ML Challenge — HackerEarth
With that, we have come to an end with this month’s edition of Technofiction. We hope that you found this informative and wish you all the best as you set out on this journey.