True Benefits of Machine Learning

Today’s systems still have the same model as those proposed by Alan Turing in the 1940’s: A CPU that executes instructions, memory, and long-term storage. Right? Ok, so let's try to understand why "Machine Learning" is such a buzz word.

Today’s machine learning is just “curve-fitting.” That means taking a set of data points and trying to map them into a line. This can be incredibly effective at, say, predicting seasonally-adjusted demand in order to reduce excess inventory yet keeping the shelves fully stocked. And believe me, it works!

But is that really artificial intelligence? No.

Human monitoring is still an essential part of what we call "AI" today. Nicholas Carr says: “You can’t Automate what you can’t understand”. With Machine Learning, the computer can do a little better. For example, with unsupervised Machine Learning, a tool might get a hundred thousand different poker hands, along with what that hand “scores.” From that data a Machine Learning App can infer the rules to poker, or predict the score for a given hand.

Given a large set of data points, figure out the best line to approximate them. Plenty of algorithms already do this. You can even do that using a complicated Excel sheet. What we call “Machine Learning” today is one step better. After conducting the math, the tool creates the curve, then re-runs the data using that curve to see how off it is, creating a new curve that is more accurate. That is, modern Machine Learning tools create the prediction, compare that to what actually happened, and can improve themselves in a loop. This continues until they reach a point where improving one area throws off the curve in a different area. Do you want to see it lika a formula? Here it is:

sub prediction(var input) = ML.Calculate(@input_data, @output_data)

Real Artificial Intelligence (as humans mean it!) has not arrived yet. Why? Because a billion of Atari gaming systems lash together can have essentially unlimited processing power, but they still lack that spark of self-awareness.