So, what is machine learning anyways? Here's a quick breakdown

Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters

If you're keeping up to date on technology news, you're probably seeing references to machine learning everywhere, and for good reason: machine learning is an integral component of the way that computers process information.

Machine learning is all around us, informing our day to day lives from the way we navigate Google maps right down to the way we check our inboxes.

But what is it exactly, and when did it start being such a big deal?

Here's a quick explainer to get you up to date: