Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful technology that is trained using progressive learning algorithms to enable data to program itself. AI is capable of discovering structures and patterns in data, allowing algorithms to gain skills and knowledge. For instance, an algorithm can learn to play chess on its own, or it can learn which product to suggest next online. Nowadays, when companies deploy AI programs, they are likely to use machine learning, so much so that the terms are often used interchangeably and sometimes ambiguously. Machine learning is a subfield of AI that gives computers the capacity to learn without being explicitly programmed.
In general terms, systems with AI can carry out tasks commonly associated with human cognitive functions, such as interpreting speech, playing games and recognizing patterns. Generally, they learn to do so by processing large amounts of data, searching for patterns to model in their own decision-making. In many cases, humans will oversee the AI learning process, reinforcing good decisions and discouraging bad ones. However, some AI systems are designed to learn without supervision, for example, by playing a video game over and over until they eventually figure out the rules and how to win.
