People often confuse data mining and machine learning because both can involve large datasets and algorithms. They are used for different purposes, however. Data mining is often used to discover useful patterns, relationships or trends in existing data, while machine learning is used to create models that learn from the data and make predictions or decisions. The two can collaborate in actual work-based projects. For instance, a business could recognize a pattern of customers and make use of artificial intelligence to anticipate what the customer will do in the future.