Machines learning with focus

On the first day in the office at my first job, I reached much before others. Banu, manning the reception, was the only person around. She asked me to wait in the reception area.

After a short while, other employees started arriving. I was observing how they were entering the office, how they were dressed, how they were noticing and greeted each other, the tone of their conversation, and their use of lockers. I can list many. Just by observing, I was learning many things about the office environment.

“Hi Makarand, how are you doing? My name is Harsh, and I am your buddy in the office.” I could feel the warm welcome. Harsh became my friend in no time. “Come on in, I will show you the office.” Harsh introduced me to many people and places. I became much more comfortable. “Here is a phone number to reach me. Feel free to call anytime. Would you like to join me for lunch today?” Harsh left me in a large conference room, where I completed joining formalities.

On Monday next week, all new employees were summoned to a conference room for induction training. The training covered many other aspects of office working and employee behavior which empowered us to become responsible and efficient employees.

Knowingly or unknowingly I went through the process of
• Self-learning when I was on my own
• Assisted learning, when I was with the buddy
• And Focused learning in the classroom

Human learning is a gradual process. Machine learning is much faster. Most machine learning exercises use focused learning for specific objectives. For example, when we wanted to come up with specific policy recommendations for prospective customers, we focused on learning buying patterns from earlier customers along with various factors that impact their buying decisions.

Are your machines learning with focus?