Basics of machine learning involve understanding the different types of machine learning such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning. It also includes learning about various machine learning algorithms like linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, random forest, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, and neural networks. Additionally, it covers important concepts like data preprocessing, model evaluation metrics, bias-variance tradeoff, overfitting, underfitting, regularization, cross-validation, and the overall machine learning workflow from problem definition to deployment and maintenance.