24/06/2021 Supervised vs. Unsupervised Learning: What’s the Difference?

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Supervised vs. Unsupervised Learning:

What’s the Difference?

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Artificial intelligence

12 March 2021
5 min read

By:
Julianna Delua, SME, IBM Analytics, Data Science/Machine Learning

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In this article, we’ll explore the basics of two

data science approaches: supervised and
unsupervised. Find out which approach is right
for your situation.
The world is getting “smarter” every day, and to keep up with consumer expectations,
companies are increasingly using machine learning algorithms to make things easier. You can
see them in use in end-user devices (through face recognition for unlocking smartphones) or for
detecting credit card fraud (like triggering alerts for unusual purchases).

Within artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, there are two basic approaches:
supervised learning and unsupervised learning. The main difference is one uses labeled data to
help predict outcomes, while the other does not. However, there are some nuances between the
two approaches, and key areas in which one outperforms the other. This post will clarify the
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differences so you can choose the best approach for your situation.
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24/06/2021 Supervised vs. Unsupervised Learning: What’s the Difference? | IBM

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What is supervised learning?

Supervised learning is a machine learning approach that’s defined by its use of labeled datasets.
These datasets are designed to train or “supervise” algorithms into classifying data or
predicting outcomes accurately. Using labeled inputs and outputs, the model can measure its
accuracy and learn over time.

Supervised learning can be separated into two types of problems when data mining:
classification and regression:

• Classification problems use an algorithm to accurately assign test data into specific

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categories, such as separating apples from oranges. Or, in the real world, supervised
learning algorithms can be used to classify spam in a separate folder from your inbox. Linear
classifiers, support vector machines, decision trees and random forest are all common types
of classification algorithms.

• Regression is another type of supervised learning method that uses an algorithm to

understand the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Regression
models are helpful for predicting numerical values based on different data points, such as
sales revenue projections for a given business. Some popular regression algorithms are
linear regression, logistic regression and polynomial regression.

What is unsupervised learning?

Unsupervised learning uses machine learning algorithms to analyze and cluster unlabeled data
sets. These algorithms discover hidden patterns in data without the need for human
intervention (hence, they are “unsupervised”).

Unsupervised learning models are used for three main tasks: clustering, association and
dimensionality reduction:

• Clustering is a data mining technique for grouping unlabeled data based on their similarities
or differences. For example, K-means clustering algorithms assign similar data points into
groups, where the K value represents the size of the grouping and granularity. This
technique is helpful for market segmentation, image compression, etc.

• Association is another type of unsupervised learning method that uses different rules to
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find relationships between variables in a given dataset. These methods are frequently used
for market basket analysis and recommendation engines along the lines of “Customers
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24/06/2021 Supervised vs. Unsupervised Learning: What’s the Difference? | IBM
for market basket analysis and recommendation engines, along the lines of Customers
Who Bought This Item Also Bought” recommendations.
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• Dimensionality reduction is a learning technique used when the number of features  (or
dimensions) in a given dataset is too high. It reduces the number of data inputs to a
manageable size while also preserving the data integrity. Often, this technique is used in the
preprocessing data stage, such as when autoencoders remove noise from visual data to
improve picture quality.

The main difference between supervised and unsupervised

learning: Labeled data

The main distinction between the two approaches is the use of labeled datasets. To put it

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simply, supervised learning uses labeled input and output data, while an unsupervised learning
algorithm does not.

In supervised learning, the algorithm “learns” from the training dataset by iteratively making
predictions on the data and adjusting for the correct answer. While supervised learning models
tend to be more accurate than unsupervised learning models, they require upfront human
intervention to label the data appropriately. For example, a supervised learning model can
predict how long your commute will be based on the time of day, weather conditions and so on.
But first, you’ll have to train it to know that rainy weather extends the driving time.

Unsupervised learning models, in contrast, work on their own to discover the inherent structure
of unlabeled data. Note that they still require some human intervention for validating output
variables. For example, an unsupervised learning model can identify that online shoppers often
purchase groups of products at the same time. However, a data analyst would need to validate
that it makes sense for a recommendation engine to group baby clothes with an order of
diapers, applesauce and sippy cups.

Other key differences between supervised and unsupervised

learning

• Goals: In supervised learning, the goal is to predict outcomes for new data. You know up
front the type of results to expect. With an unsupervised learning algorithm, the goal is to
get insights from large volumes of new data. The machine learning itself determines what is
different or interesting from the dataset.

• Applications: Supervised learning models are ideal for spam detection, sentiment analysis,
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weather forecasting and pricing predictions, among other things. In contrast, unsupervised
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24/06/2021 Supervised vs. Unsupervised Learning: What’s the Difference? | IBM

learning is a great fit for anomaly detection, recommendation engines, customer personas
and medical
Skip imaging.
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• Complexity: Supervised learning is a simple method for machine learning, typically
calculated through the use of programs like R or Python. In unsupervised learning, you need
powerful tools for working with large amounts of unclassified data. Unsupervised learning
models are computationally complex because they need a large training set to produce
intended outcomes.

• Drawbacks: Supervised learning models can be time-consuming to train, and the labels for
input and output variables require expertise. Meanwhile, unsupervised learning methods
can have wildly inaccurate results unless you have human intervention to validate the
output variables.

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Supervised vs. unsupervised learning: Which is best for you?

Choosing the right approach for your situation depends on how your data scientists assess the
structure and volume of your data, as well as the use case. To make your decision, be sure to do
the following:

• Evaluate your input data: Is it labeled or unlabeled data? Do you have experts that can
support additional labeling?

• Define your goals: Do you have a recurring, well-defined problem to solve? Or will the
algorithm need to predict new problems?

• Review your options for algorithms: Are there algorithms with the same dimensionality you
need (number of features, attributes or characteristics)? Can they support your data volume
and structure?

Classifying big data can be a real challenge in supervised learning, but the results are highly
accurate and trustworthy. In contrast, unsupervised learning can handle large volumes of data
in real time. But, there’s a lack of transparency into how data is clustered and a higher risk of
inaccurate results. This is where semi-supervised learning comes in.

Semi-supervised learning: The best of both worlds

Can’t decide on whether to use supervised or unsupervised learning? Semi-supervised learning

is a happy medium, where you use a training dataset with both labeled and unlabeled data. It’s
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particularly useful when it’s difficult to extract relevant features from data — and when youtalk
have
a high volume of data.
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Semi-supervised learning is ideal for medical images, where a small amount of training data can
lead to a significant improvement in accuracy. For example, a radiologist can label a small
subset of CT scans for tumors or diseases so the machine can more accurately predict which
patients might require more medical attention.

Learn more about supervised and unsupervised learning

Machine learning models are a powerful way to gain the data insights that improve our world. To
learn more about the specific algorithms used with supervised and unsupervised learning, we
encourage you to delve into the Learn Hub articles on these techniques. We also recommend

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checking out the blog post that goes a step further, with a detailed look at deep learning and
neural networks.

• What is Supervised Learning?

• What is Unsupervised Learning?

• AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning vs. Neural Networks: What's the Difference?

To learn more about how to build machine learning models, explore the free tutorials on the
IBM Developer Hub.

Julianna Delua
SME, IBM Analytics, Data Science/Machine Learning

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