Machine Learning vs Web Development

Introduction

Machine learning is the subdomain of artificial intelligence, where the main aim is to develop models using algorithms that allow systems to make decisions without human intervention. On the other hand, web development refers to building web applications (websites). Therefore, these two are two unique fields that play an important role in shaping the digital world.

In this article, we will discuss about 'Machine Learning vs Web Development’. We will discuss their key components, demand and supply, tech stack, and scope in each one so that you can decide your niche.

Machine learning

Machine learning is the subdomain of artificial intelligence that aims to build self-improving algorithms through which the system can make efficient decisions without any human intervention.

Let's see a real-world example to understand Machine Learning. We must have noticed how when we log in to a streaming platform, it shows us the list of movies and series according to our preferences. This happens as the platform analyses our history and identifies the most preferred genre.

Other machine-learning applications include image recognition, speech recognition, medical diagnosis, email automation and spam filtering, product recommendations, mobile voice-to-text, etc.

Web Development

Web development refers to creating websites. Web development includes making web design, developing the front-end (client-side), back-end (server-side), and managing databases.

There are further sub-fields in web development, such as:

Front-end Development

The front-end developers handle and implement the client side and build the website's user interface. The developers use technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, or other frameworks like React.js, Next.js, Angular.js, etc., to enhance the user experience. Therefore the developers build the client side of the website. This means building features that users interact with.

Example

An e-commerce website like Amazon has a product page with information about all the products. Users can search to find the desired product by interacting with the webpage and clicking on the ‘add to cart button,’ ultimately, we can see the particular product in our cart. So, front-end developers develop the functionality that a user can directly access by direct interaction.

Back-end Development

A back-end developer is the one that is responsible for handling the server side of the application. It involves handling the user requests and giving the response back to the client.

Example

Consider the example where an e-commerce website where a buyer can log in or sign up for an account. Here backend developer ensures that the information is handled securely. The information is stored in databases. Or take another example, when we can like comments and interact with posts on social media, the likes and comments are stored in a database, and API (application programming interface) endpoints are used for handling the interaction.

The API endpoints are the URLs where a request is sent, and access is provided for a dataset. APIs enable smooth integration of the front-end and back-end and enable communication between two applications.

For example, the weather bureau’s software system contains daily weather information. The weather app on our systems communicates with this software through APIs and shows us the weather updates. Recommended read- Introduction to API and its usage

Full-stack Development

A Full-stack developer is someone who can handle and implement both the front-end and back-end of the application and know all the basic and advanced aspects of web development.

Components

The components of full-stack development include:

Front-end development: Creating the user interface of a website (using technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript).
Back-end development: Handling server side (using languages like Node.js(Javascript), Python, Java, PHP, etc.)
Version Control: Tracking changes in code and managing code history (using version control systems like Git).
API Design: Designing API for smooth communication between the front and back end.
Database: Understanding database design and creating schemas for data storage.
Deployment and Hosting: Making web applications available for users online.

Moving forward, let’s discuss the demand and supply for each field.

Demand and Supply

In today’s world, every business needs an online presence to beat the competition, so web development is ever-green. But one must consider the fact that there is a lot of competition in this field, so the candidate needs to be highly skilled, and all the concepts must be clear.

The demand for machine learning has been growing rapidly. It is used in various industries as it gives better decision-making power, providing a fantastic user experience by giving suggestions based on their likes and dislikes. Machine learning also helps reduce human intervention as tasks can be automated, thus, saving time and effort. Therefore machine learning has been widely used in healthcare, finance, trading, and Natural language processing.

There is no doubt that both fields are in high demand. The main difference is that one must be highly skilled in whichever one wants to opt for.

Machine Learning in Web Development

Integrating machine learning with web development can help enhance the overall efficiency of applications, such as tasks that involve automating images, natural language processing (NLP), voice recognition, image recognition, text summarization, etc. By using machine learning in your web application, you automate repetitive tasks and save time. Let's see a few examples of how machine learning can be used in web development.

Recommendation systems: Recommendation systems are widely used in platforms such as Netflix, amazon prime, youtube, etc., for providing personalized recommendations by analyzing viewing history.
Image Recognition: Image recognition is widely used in ‘test-taking’ platforms, where the platform validates the candidate's image before starting a test.
Chatbots: Chatbots are integrated into web applications that respond to users' queries. You must have seen in many ‘e-learning’ websites a ‘pop-up ’ asks for a user's queries and responds in a way that seems a real person is responding. Also, chatbots are integrated into ‘e-commerce’ platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, etc., so we are provided with automated customer support that answers our queries.

Machine Learning vs Web Development

Basis	Web development	Machine Learning
Definition	Web development refers to building web applications.	Machine Learning is the sub-domain of artificial intelligence, where the main aim is to develop systems that can learn from past experience and aid in better decision-making.
Skills and Tech stack	Web development requires proficiency in front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, other front-end frameworks such as React.js, etc., and back-end technologies like Node.js, Flask, etc.	Machine learning requires a strong understanding of mathematical concepts and data analysis and proficiency in languages like Python, R.
Demand and Scope	High demand and scope	High demand and scope
Growth	Through machine learning, one also has the advantage of specializing in fields such as deep learning, NLP (natural language processing), etc.	Through web development, one can upskill to front-end, back-end, or full-stack and can also seek roles in more complex projects.
Job Roles	Data scientist, NLP specialist, machine learning engineer, etc.	Front-end developer, Back-end developer, full stack developer.
Advantage	Machine Learning provides features such as automation, personalized user experiences, and building models that can handle vast amounts of data.	Through Web development, one can make websites with global reach.
Disadvantage	Developing a machine learning model is a complex process. The machine learning models can face overfitting and underfitting problems.	The technologies used in web development are changing rapidly, so one needs to keep up with the trend.
User Interaction	Indirect user interaction (e.g., recommendations on streaming platforms)	Direct user interaction (e.g., e-commerce web application)
Complexity	Machine learning is a complex process as compared to web development, where one needs to have intensive knowledge of mathematics and algorithms.	Web development is less complex than machine learning, but on the other hand, it also has its cons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is in high demand, web development or machine learning?

Both web development and machine learning are in high demand; you just need to be properly skilled in whichever you choose. In today’s world, every business needs an online presence to beat the competition, so web development is ever-green. The demand for machine learning has been growing rapidly. It is used in various industries as it gives better decision-making power.

What are the various job roles in machine learning?

Machine learning jobs include data scientist, NLP specialist, deep learning engineer, computer vision engineer, machine learning engineer, etc.

Which is better, machine learning or web development?

There is no doubt that both fields are in high demand. The main difference is that one must be highly skilled in whichever one wants to opt for. Machine learning is a complex process as compared to web development, where one needs to have intensive knowledge of mathematics and algorithms.

What are the advantages of machine learning?

Machine Learning provides features such as automation and personalized user experiences and building models that can handle huge amounts of data.

What are the skills needed in web development?

Web development requires proficiency in front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, other front-end frameworks such as React.js, etc., and back-end technologies like Node.js, Flask, etc.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed ‘Machine Learning vs Web development’. We have discussed the differences in their various aspects in tabular form. To learn more about web development and machine learning, refer to the links below.

You can also consider our Machine Learning Course to give your career an edge over others.

Happy coding!