Decision Optimization VS Machine Learning: What’s the Difference? Welcome to part two of my three-part blog series. In blog one I reviewed some common AI terminology at a high level. In this blog I will explore the differences between machine learning and decision optimization. If you don’t possess an advanced degree in a STEM field, you will be forgiven for not knowing the difference between Machine Learning and Decision Optimization . In fact, you might have heard your boss say some version of the following: “we need to optimize this process with machine learning”. Does this verbiage make any sense? Yes and no. Technically speaking, optimizations can exist without the presence of Machine Learning. Machine Learning on the other hand can rarely exist without some form of optimization. Allow me to explain: Machine Learning is a subset of AI which uses statistical modelling to enable machines to learn from data. You provide data to a pre-defined mathematical structure and ask it t...