Practical Automated Machine Learning on Azure

Chapter 9. Automated ML for Everyone

So far, you’ve seen how data scientists can use the automated ML capability in Microsoft Azure Machine Learning to build machine learning models using the Azure Machine Learning Python SDK. Not everyone has the data science expertise or is familiar with Python. Figure 9-1 shows data from a recent Gartner study indicating lack of skills as the top challenge or barrier in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

Figure 9-1. Top AI and ML adoption challenges

What if we can remove this barrier? Given the increasing demand for AI and machine learning, people in various departments and roles are becoming interested and involved. Here are a few examples of roles in which people would love to build machine learning models but lack the expertise or familiarity with Python (or other programming languages like R):

• Domain experts or Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

• Citizen data scientists

• Data analysts

• Data engineers

• Developers

There needs to be a simpler way to use automated ML—ideally, no-code experiences in familiar interfaces instead of having to learn new tools and techniques. In this chapter, we focus on how automated ML is being made available to users who are not experts in machine learning, with the goal of democratizing it.

Azure Portal UI

Although businesses are beginning to fully realize the potential of ...