What can we learn from Machine Learning?

An Enlightening Read

Everyone agrees that the human brain is one heck of a machine, in fact calling it a machine would be an insult to nature and despite its shortcomings it’s irreplaceable. Since the industrial revolution we have been inventing and engineering machines that can ease, boost and takeover some of our work but never truly replace it. That is until the advent of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning. Being able to recognize patterns and make conscious decisions by what is essentially a hunk of metal and not an emotional,intelligent fleshy being is a technological feat the likes of the Edison’s light bulb. The essence of AI is that we teach it to recognize patterns and allow it to make decisions as a result of those.

The interesting thought that crossed my mind was that despite our superiority AI has advantages that we can adopt into our daily life. Take for example Gradient descent- an algorithm that makes attempts and then evaluates the current outcome to the desired outcome, in simple words it tries and learns from it’s failures by making relevant changes. Failure doesn’t stop it from trying which is something many of us are not know for doing.Learning from our mistakes in an organized, logical and iterative process is a concept absent from the mind of many and for few its just easier said than done. “Never give up” a phrase thrown around so often that it’s lost it’s value leading people to not realize the value of perseverance.

By no means am I saying that machines are superior, certain actions made by the human brain aren’t logical, rational, procedural and mathematical but have value in the real world and that’s something that as of now at least advanced algorithms can’t replicate. To be honest I too am guilty of some of these things that we lack but understanding Machine Learning allowed me to see my actions and those around me through a new lens.