Transfer learning for machine learning is when existing models are reused to solve a new challenge or problem. Transfer learning is not a distinct type of machine learning algorithm, instead it’s a technique or method used whilst training models. The knowledge developed from previous training is recycled to help perform a new task. The new task will be related in some way to the previously trained task, which could be to categorise objects in a specific file type. The original trained model usually requires a high level of generalisation to adapt to the new unseen data.
Transfer learning means that training won’t need to be restarted from scratch for every new task. Training new machine learning models can be resource-intensive, so transfer learning saves both resources and time. The accurate labelling of large datasets also takes a huge amount of time. The majority of data encountered by organisations can often be unlabelled, especially with the extensive datasets required to train a machine learning algorithm. With transfer learning, a model can be trained on an available labelled dataset, then be applied to a similar task that may involve unlabelled data.