What Is Machine Learning and How Does It Work?

Anuj Abhiwan
Jul 22
4 min read

In the present world, smart technologies are everywhere around us. Be it asking Alexa to play a song or unlocking a phone through face recognition, the machines will hopefully come to do more and more work that earlier required human effort. And behind this evolution lies a technology called Machine Learning. Machine learning is an arm of AI wherein machines learn from data and improve automatically. In place of writing particular rules, we provide algorithms and input data. These systems then find patterns and make decisions. It is teaching a child through examples rather than instructions. More data yields accuracy for the machine.

How Machine Learning Works in Daily Life

Consider the process of learning to recognise a dog to better grasp the working of machine learning. One shows hundreds of images, some with dogs and some without. After enough exposure, the person starts correctly identifying those dogs. In a similar way, a machine is taught from data and over time learns to forecast or decide.

Time to break it down step-wise:

Data Collection – Gather relevant data like images, text, numbers, etc.
Data Preparation – Cleaning and organising the data to eliminate their imperfections.
Algorithm Selection – Choose a model suitable for your task.
Training the Model – Feed the model data so it can learn.
Testing and Evaluation – Check how well the model performs.
Prediction or Use – Use the trained model in live tasks.

For example, when Netflix recommends a movie, it looks at what you have watched before; then, it looks at others having similar tastes and uses machine learning to figure out what you would most likely enjoy next.

Types of Machine Learning You Should Know

There are four major machine learning types. Each one works differently and is useful for specific tasks.

Type of ML	How It Works	Example
Supervised Learning	Learns from labelled data to predict results	Email spam filters
Unsupervised Learning	Finds hidden patterns in data without labels	Customer group segmentation
Reinforcement Learning	Learns by trial and error through rewards	Self-driving car navigation
Semi-supervised Learning	A mix of labelled and unlabeled data for better accuracy	Face detection in photo apps

These types of learning enable companies to resolve a range of problems, from detecting fraud to improving the customer experience.

Machine Learning AI in Real Life

Let’s look at a real-world example of machine learning AI in action. Suppose your credit card is suddenly used in another city while your mobile location shows you're somewhere else. Within seconds, the bank alerts you of suspicious activity. This is possible because the bank’s machine learning model studies spending patterns. When something looks unusual, it raises an alert automatically. Retail stores use ML for personalised offers. Hospitals use it to identify diseases from scans. It is that type of opportunity that logistics companies use to plan faster delivery routes. Machine learning AI is all around us, quietly evolving everything to be smarter and more efficient.

Latest News in Machine Learning (2025 Update)

Machine learning is rapidly evolving. Nearly 80% of large enterprises now use machine learning for improvements in operations, customer service, or security, Forrester says in its July 2025 report. An intriguing update came from Google DeepMind, which has built a novel model that learns from fewer examples, as humans do. This technology may soon reduce huge data requirements and speed development. Similarly, in India, companies such as Zomato and Swiggy apply ML techniques to infuse delivery time forecasts with actual conditions like weather, distance, and traffic. This means ML is certainly improving everyday life.

How Does Machine Learning Work?

When machine learning is in place, computers learn through data instead of following strict rules. A machine learning algorithm observes patterns in data and utilises those patterns to make intelligent decisions by itself.

There are a few simple steps in machine learning:

Step 1: Data Collection – Gather useful and relevant data.
Step 2: Data Cleaning – Fix errors and organise the data properly.
Step 3: Model Selection – Choose the right algorithm.
Step 4: Training – Let the model learn from the data.
Step 5: Testing – Check how well the model will perform with new data.

With a lot of data, it will do better.

What Is the Difference Between AI and ML?

The two are often confused. To put it simply, machine learning is one aspect of the whole of AI.

Aspect	Artificial Intelligence	Machine Learning
Meaning	A broad field where machines mimic human intelligence	A subset of AI where machines learn from data
Goal	Simulate thinking, decision-making, and reasoning	Discover patterns and improve with experience
Example	Chatbots, robots, smart assistants	Netflix recommendations, fraud detection

In simple terms, AI is the bigger picture, and machine learning is one important part of it.

Why Is Machine Learning Used?

With the huge amount of data being generated every day, humans can’t process everything manually. That’s where machine learning steps in.

So, why is machine learning used so widely?

It handles large volumes of data efficiently.
It identifies patterns that humans may miss.
It makes predictions quickly and accurately.
It automates repetitive tasks.
It personalises user experiences.

Machine learning increases speed and enhances accuracy and services; be it a chatbot answering your queries or an app that guides you with routes with no traffic.

Conclusion

Gone are the days when machine learning was mere predictive science; it's here now to help in an endless number of ways, small and grand. While ML personalises content and detects fraud, it is helping shape how businesses function and how our own lives are lived. It reduces human effort and saves time, and ensures the setup of precision in day-to-day activities. Hence, machine learning has become the call of the hour for a growing number of sectors and industries aiming higher and better. At Abhiwan Technology, we assist businesses in smoothly adopting this powerful technology. If you're trying to automate tasks, analyse customer data, and develop smart tools, we offer expert assistance that fits your needs. Understanding machine learning today will help in building the right world tomorrow. So, if you start exploring today, keep learning, and walk smart into the future.