Is ML(Machine Learning) a Programming Style ?

I remember that I started programming with declaring variables and doing multiplication, addition , 'for/while' loops etc.. Suddenly one day my Plus1 computer teacher started writing functions, those days I didn't know that I was moving to a new programming style . Functions were looks very natural and nothing surprising to me. But when I came to know that some of programming languages only running with functions(but it took years to realize that :-))  ..check this link Functional Programming
I came to know that this can be adopted as a programming style.

When I moved to Plus 2 standard,  I think that is time when I started hearing about about objects oriented programming. I felt so surprising that "Why the teacher is taking me to different different words/concepts like inheritance,polymorphism ,abtraction etc.." ok I just bi-hearted them to pass the exams. But I can remember that my teacher was trying to understand me that 'object oriented programming' is new programming style.

Now I started going through some of the ML(machine learning) tutorials, I am getting same doubt like 'Is it going to be a new programming style or Is it the future programming method ?'