What is training data?

A machine learning model is a file that has been trained to recognize certain types of patterns. You train a model over a set of data, providing it an algorithm that it can use to reason over and learn from those data.

Training data is the textbook that will teach your AI to do its assigned task, and will be used over and over again to fine-tune its predictions and improve its success rate. Your AI will use training data in several different ways, all with the aim of improving the accuracy of its predictions. It does this through the variables contained in the data. By identifying these and evaluating their impact on the algorithm, data scientists can strengthen their AI through copious adjustments. The best data will be extremely rich in detail, capable of improving your AI after hundreds of training cycles by hinting at a wide range of variables that affect your algorithm.