While artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise, so is machine learning, an integral branch of AI that we witness in action repeatedly. For context, machine learning analyzes data and uses algorithms to mimic the way humans learn. With machine learning, a system will eventually identify patterns and make decisions without necessary human input. While this may seem intimidating and heavily focused, machine learning has various uses right in front of us.

One leading purpose of machine learning is recommendation engines, which predict an item or service that the user might like using data like user engagement. The main application areas for this would be in the media, entertainment and shopping industries. YouTube is one of the many websites that use recommendation engines to predict other videos a user might like to watch.

In contrast to recommendation engines, machine learning can also save lives. Machine learning can predict when a patient could get sick. By analyzing databases of patient records, a machine learning-based system can determine the status. This application is vital, considering it can save lives and thousands of dollars for patients.

Another application would be virtual personal assistants. When asking any of these assistants a question, your voice, related queries, your previous queries, and more are among the data taken into account before responding to the original question. Machine learning in personal assistants allows many to make day-to-day life more simple.

Next, machine learning solves language barriers. Tools such as Google Translate use machine learning. This is because the tool analyzes thousands of languages and dictionaries to output the most accurate translation. Additionally, many machine learning application tools ensure the tone and pronunciation of each word are acceptable.

Machine learning has applications from a financial standpoint for services like fraud detection. With banking now being digitized and the number of credit and debit cards soaring, so does the possibility of fraud. Therefore, machine learning can search for suspicious patterns, a job that would be impractical and never-ending for humans to do.

By looking at a few of many applications of machine learning, it is clear that a branch of AI that could seem overlooked at times has the chance to make consequential impacts on the world. Additionally, with further advances to machine learning, there are a multitude of ways we could help people in many industries.