Unsupervised Learning

Encord Computer Vision Glossary

Unsupervised learning

Unsupervised learning is a type of machine learning (ML) in which an algorithm is trained on a dataset without the use of labeled examples. It is a type of learning that is based on the idea of discovering patterns in data, and is often used to extract features or to cluster data into groups.

Algorithms for unsupervised learning are able to recognise patterns and correlations in data without the requirement for labeled samples. They are frequently employed for applications including density estimation, anomaly detection, and dimensionality reduction.

Unsupervised learning methods come in a variety of forms, such as generative models, dimensionality reduction algorithms, and clustering algorithms. Dimensionality reduction methods are used to reduce the number of dimensions in the data, while generative models are used to simulate the underlying distribution of the data. Clustering algorithms are used to arrange data into clusters based on how similar they are.

In many machine learning (ML) applications, such as natural language processing, picture and video analysis, and recommendation systems, unsupervised learning is a key component. It is an effective tool for identifying links and patterns in data, and it can also extract features and cluster data.


From scaling to enhancing your model development with data-driven insights
Learn more
medical banner

What are the different types of unsupervised learning?

Unsupervised learning methods come in a variety of forms, such as generative models, dimensionality reduction algorithms, and clustering algorithms. Dimensionality reduction methods are used to reduce the number of dimensions in the data, while generative models are used to simulate the underlying distribution of the data. Clustering algorithms are used to arrange data into clusters based on how similar they are.

In many machine learning (ML) applications, such as natural language processing, picture and video analysis, and recommendation systems, unsupervised learning is a key component. It is an effective tool for identifying links and patterns in data, and it can also extract features and cluster data.

cta banner
Discuss this blog on Slack

Join the Encord Developers community to discuss the latest in computer vision, machine learning, and data-centric AI

Join the community
cta banner
Automate 97% of your annotation tasks with 99% accuracy