How does machine learning differ from traditional programming?

Traditional programming involves writing explicit instructions for the computer to follow, while machine learning algorithms learn from data and improve their performance over time. This means that with machine learning, the programmer does not need to specify every step of the process, as the algorithm can learn to perform the task on its own by analyzing data and identifying patterns and relationships. This can make machine learning a powerful tool for tasks that are too complex or data-intensive to be solved through traditional programming methods.