To present an overview of current machine learning methods and their use in medical research, focusing on select machine learning techniques, best practices, and deep learning.A systematic literature search in PubMed was performed for articles pertinent to the topic of artificial intelligence methods used in medicine with an emphasis on ophthalmology.A review of machine learning and deep learning methodology for the audience without an extensive technical computer programming background.Artificial intelligence has a promising future in medicine; however, many challenges remain.The aim of this review article is to provide the nontechnical readers a layman's explanation of the machine learning methods being used in medicine today. The goal is to provide the reader a better understanding of the potential and challenges of artificial intelligence within the field of medicine.