With the growth of digital data, machine learning is becoming more important every day. We’re far from tackling all of the challenges in this exciting new field. Over the past few weeks, Coursera learners contributed a big dose of energy and inspiration by sharing their personal machine learning stories as part of the #LearnML campaign.
When Coursera Co-Founder Andrew Ng invited you to tell us how machine learning has impacted your life and career, we expected a great response – but we were overwhelmed by the passion that you conveyed in your videos and social media posts. We couldn’t pick just five winners, so we’re excited to announce six contestants who will be invited to join Andrew in a Google Hangout to discuss the future of machine learning in early 2016. Check out their exceptionally inspirational stories of personal growth, academic and career advancement, and global impact at the links below.
Utkarsh Garg – USA
After “binge studying” Andrew Ng’s Machine Learning course on Coursera, Utkarsh applied what he’d learned not just to one good cause, but to many. He built an email tool for a student mentoring organization, worked to improve EEG monitoring for children with epilepsy, and designed an infant incubator for use in developing countries. Thanks to Coursera and Machine Learning, Utkarsh says, he realized that “a computer scientist can, in fact, change the world.”
Arun Ram – India
Arun is fascinated and inspired by the potential applications of machine learning to real-world problems. In his #LearnML video, he demonstrates his current project – an algorithm that visually identifies vegetable crops and analyzes relevant food price data from public sources.
Samar Haider – Pakistan
Samar’s machine learning journey began with a perfect score in Andrew Ng’s Coursera course – but it didn’t end there. A year later, he’s completed additional coursework and consumed numerous books on the field, and plans to hold a machine learning “bootcamp” for other students at his university. “Learning about machine learning,” says Samar, “introduced me to a world of possibilities when it comes to so many of the problems we see around us.”
Anmol Anubhai – India
Anmol is using machine learning to understand how cancer-causing compounds change the structure of DNA. “The fight against cancer seems to be a never ending one,” says Anmol, “but machine learning, Coursera and Professor Ng make me feel empowered.”
Lydia Novozhilova – USA
After completing Andrew Ng’s Machine Learning course on Coursera, Lydia introduced the topic to her mathematics students at Western Connecticut University – inspiring many of them to pursue additional coursework and projects in the field.
Salvador Rocha – Mexico
As a media executive, Salvador wanted to to offer his customers more detailed information about their audiences. Machine learning helped him “connect the dots” to improve his company’s product.