Machine Learning (ML) is a subfield of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that focuses on the development of algorithms and statistical models that enable computer systems to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. In other words, ML systems can automatically improve their performance in a specific task by learning from the data they are provided with.

The core idea of machine learning is to develop algorithms that can learn from examples or data, identify patterns, and make decisions or predictions based on that learning. These algorithms are trained on data sets, which can be labeled or unlabeled, and can be supervised, unsupervised, or semi-supervised. The data can be of various types such as text, images, audio, or video.

Machine learning algorithms are used in a wide range of applications, including image recognition, natural language processing, speech recognition, fraud detection, recommendation systems, and autonomous vehicles, among others. The field of ML is rapidly evolving and has the potential to transform many industries by enabling automation and intelligent decision-making.