LO 9.1.3.A

Learning Objective: Define four categories of machine learning algorithms based on the degree of human intervention.

Review

• Four categories of machine learning algorithms

There are different categories of machine learning algorithms that vary according to the level of human intervention required in labeling the data:

• In Supervised learning, the algorithm is fed a set of ‘training’ data that contains labels on some portion of the observations.
• Unsupervised learning refers to the case where the data provided to the algorithm does not contain labels.
• Reinforcement learning refers to the case where the decision/learning process is affected both by the inflow data and a reward scheme. In this case, the algorithm is fed an unlabelled set of data, selects an action for each data point, and receives feedback that encourages the algorithm to learn.
• Deep learning refers to algorithms that function in layers inspired by the structure and function of the brain. Deep learning algorithms, whose structure is called artificial neural networks, can be used for supervised, unsupervised, or reinforced learning.