Machine learning, statistics, and AI

Machine learning is a term that has various synonyms - names that are the result of either marketing activities by corporates or just terms that have been used interchangeably. Although some may argue that they have different implications, they all ultimately refer to machine learning as a subject that facilitates the prediction of future events using historical information.

The commonly heard terms for machine learning include predictive analysis, predictive analytics, predictive modeling, and many others. As such, unless the entity that publishes material explaining their interpretation of the term and more specifically, how it is different, it is generally safe to assume that they are referring to machine learning. This is often a source of confusion among those new to the subject, largely due to the misuse and overuse of technical verbiage.

Statistics, on the other hand, is a distinct subject area that has been well known for over 200 years. The word...