Big data is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. Big data can be analyzed for valuable insights that can help improve business processes and predict future changes in the market. What differentiates big data from normal data is the sheer size of the material Big data is so large that, typically, it is useless for humans as normal data-processing software cannot be used to deduce any functional insights form it. Well, if that’s the case then why is the term so famous and why are companies investing millions of dollars into developing this technology. It is because big data is useless by itself, but when combined with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, it can be used to extract information that would not be possible to gather otherwise.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. It is when computers try and mimic human intelligence. This includes realizing patterns, forming predictions, and making decisions. AI works on two basic principles: machine learning and deep learning.
Machine Learning
Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence involved with the creation of algorithms that can modify itself without human intervention to produce desired output- by feeding itself through structured data. It is the science of getting computers to learn and act like humans do, and improve their learning over time in autonomous fashion, by feeding them data and information in the form of observations and real-world interactions.
Artificial Intelligence works on data. It is not possible for any form of AI to function without having an ample amount of data as input. Programming AI is not the difficult part. The true magic of AI lies in initially designing it, providing it with large amounts of data, and then watching what the machine does with that data. This is when AI can truly perform remarkable tasks and realize patterns that would not have been realized through the human eye.
Where Big Data and AI meet
To recap what we’ve talked about so far, big data is large amounts of data that, in many ways, is useless for humans. AI is a technology that needs large amounts of data for it to function. Are you getting the relationship here?
Big data is the ideal form of data for AI to work its magic: large, ever-changing, and useless
to humans. The more the data provided for machine learning, the more accurate the realization of patterns, and hence more useful the results. When Big Data and AI combine, businesses can be revolutionized, processes can be automated, hidden patterns can be realized, and the future can be predicted!
