All together now: A perspective on the NETFLIX PRIZE

learning methods tend to center on algorithms (black boxes), where the focus is on the quality of predictions— rather than ‘understanding’ what drives particular predictions. In contrast, statisticians tend to think more in terms of models with parameters that carry inherent interest for explaining the world. Leo Breiman’s article, “Statistical Modeling: The Two Cultures,” which was published in Statistical Science, provides various views on this contrast. Our original team consisted of two statisticians and a computer scientist, and the diversity of expertise and perspective across these two disciplines was an important factor in our success.