8/23/2019 Difference Between Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Di erence Between Arti cial

Intelligence and Machine Learning
usm systems Follow
Aug 23 · 3 min read

AI is Artificial Intelligence, where intelligence is defined as the ability to

acquire and apply knowledge.

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8/23/2019 Difference Between Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

ML is machine learning, where learning is defined as gaining knowledge or

skills through experience, study or teaching.

Let me explain the difference with a simple examples:

We want to create artificial ants that can crawl into two dimensional space.
However, there are dangers in this world: if an ant encounters a poisonous
area, it dies. If there is no venom in the proximity of the ant, the ant lives.

Ants can be taught how to avoid toxic areas so that these ants can live as
long as they want. Let’s give our ants a simple set of instructions they can
follow; They can move freely in a two-dimensional space at a time. Our first
attempt was to allow ants to crawl around by making random instructions.
Then we adjust these ants and let them crawl around the world again. We
will repeat this until the ants have successfully prevented the poisonous
parts of the world. This is a comprehensive machine learning way to
approach the problem. We use some arbitrary rule to fit the ants into the
configuration. This works because in each iteration we cut off a set of
inadequate ants. In the end, we are being pushed towards the more fit ants.

If we change the location of the toxic areas, what do you think will happen?
Ants are in serious crisis because they cannot survive in the world — they
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do not know where the poisonous areas are and therefore cannot avoid
them. But why is this happening, and what can we do? Can the ants
somehow find out where those areas are and adapt their behavior to make
them more successful? This is where Artificial Intelligence comes into play.
We need a way to give this information to the ants, to educate them about
the environment. Our ants need a way to perceive the world. Until then,
they are living in utter darkness, with no way to comprehend the world
around them. For example, we can allow the ants to leave a small trail that
other ants can grasp. Then we can make ants to follow this trail and if they
can’t grasp a trail, they will randomly crawl around. Now, if there are
multiple ants, most of them will touch the toxic areas and die. But there are
also dead ants and so crawling into places that are not poisonous — they
leave a trail! Other ants can follow the trail blindly and always know that
they can survive. It works because ants can receive some information about
their surroundings. Not only do they not absorb toxic areas (they don’t even
know what the poison is), but they can avoid them in a completely new
environment without special practice.

These two approaches are very different.

The machine learning path is trying to find a pattern that ants can follow
and succeed. But it does not change the ants to make local decisions.
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The way to artificial intelligence is to allow ants to make local decisions. In

nature, we can find many similarities to this kind of artificial intelligence
way of solving problems.

Another Example,

Step 1 Consider a newborn baby who knows nothing about the world. So
parents teach the baby how to say Papa, Mamma and Wave Hands, and they
try to do the same when we do something.

Step 2, sometime later, in this case, even if you don’t teach them a few years
later, they will automatically learn new things based on the instructions you
gave them.

So Here

Newborn baby — robot or computer

Parents — scientist or researcher

Step 1 — Machine learning is part of teaching a computer how to identify a

new paradigm and say something in specific input.
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Step 2 — AI is part of the process by which the computer can interpret our
given instruction and process in their own way.

Conclusion:

Machine learning is one of the main approaches towards Artificial

Intelligence, but not the same way as in the case of infants. This is just an
overview, you can refer to the endless articles and books you find on the
internet for more understanding.

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