What's the Difference Between AI & Machine Learning?

August 11, 2021

AI’s goal is to create an independent intelligence that can solve a wide variety of complex problems.
Machine learning aims to help AI systems arrive at more accurate conclusions for a single problem and arrive at those conclusions more quickly.

The process of AI is creative, utilizing all sorts of different thinking methods and forms of intelligence to come up with a specific solution to a number of different problems.
The process of machine learning is iterative, repetitive, and typically requires running the same exact problem over and over again to look for patterns in the data so it can reach conclusions more quickly, and with greater accuracy.

AI has an extremely broad scope, seeking to create a new form of intelligence capable of solving a whole multitude of problems.
Machine learning systems only need to solve a single assignment and are typically specialized for completing a single task.

Different Goals
- Apple’s Siri – It’s complex, trying to make your life easier by understanding what you want help with and delivering a useful response.
- Amazon’s “You might also like” – It’s simple, only seeking to suggest other things you might want to buy, based on what you’ve previously purchased, looked at, and how your shopping behavior aligns with other users.
Different Processes
- Apple’s Siri – It’s complicated since this process requires interpreting your input language, determining what you truly want, and then giving you whatever it thinks you’re asking for.
- Amazon’s “You might also like” – It’s simple since all it needs to do is accomplish a single task, reviewing what you’ve purchased, and looked at, comparing that to other users, then suggesting other things you may want based on patterns in the data.
Different Scopes
- Apple’s Siri – It’s broad, needing to provide you with a whole series of different types of solutions, similar to what a human assistant would be capable of delivering.
- Amazon’s “You might also like” – It’s narrow, getting you to purchase as many products as possible, without worrying about your intent, real needs at any give moment, or anything else.

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What’s the Difference Between AI & Machine Learning?