Will Data Science Be Replaced By AI?

The emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard has sparked serious discussion about job stability in the data and tech world. “Will Data Science be Replaced by AI?” has become a pressing question for many industry experts and practitioners.

Given the far-reaching capabilities of artificial intelligence, the possibility of losing entire technical roles to AI models looms large. Does the development of these technologies necessarily imply an impending decline for the data science industry?

The role of AI in data science isn’t merely hypothetical. New AI models are already performing a variety of data science functions. From pre-processing vast datasets to performing complex statistical analyses and predictive modeling, their reach is undeniable.

The capacity of AI to swiftly process information and identify patterns beyond human detection offers a distinct edge to the business and tech world.

Currently, AI models are capable of the following data science tasks:

• Data Cleaning and Pre-processing
  • Automated data cleaning tools help identify and handle missing values, outliers, and inconsistencies in datasets.
  • Feature engineering can be automated (to some extent) using algorithms that can automatically generate and select relevant features from data.
• Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
  • Automated EDA tools use AI to provide quick insights into the data, displaying distributions, correlations, and other summary statistics without manual plotting and analysis.
• Model Selection and Hyperparameter Tuning
  • AutoML (Automated Machine Learning) platforms automatically select the appropriate algorithms for a given dataset and problem. They can also perform hyperparameter tuning to optimize the model’s performance.
• Anomaly Detection
  • Advanced AI algorithms can detect anomalies in large amounts of data faster and sometimes more accurately than manual analysis.

However, while these tools offer accelerated processing and analysis, they’re still just tools in the end. Their efficiency is contingent on the quality and structure of the data fed to them. Ultimately, AI models reduce the human burden for tasks that can now be automated, but the higher-level, intuitive side of data science still requires real data professionals.

Despite their extensive capabilities, AI models have limitations. They require well-structured data to function optimally, with poor or biased data skewing results.

While AI can identify patterns, it lacks the innate human ability to understand the context or the causal relationships behind these patterns. This means that human experts must often validate AI-driven insights to ensure accuracy and relevance.

• Intuition: This is a big part of business decisions. While the data itself provides a lot of information, AI models can have difficulty delivering relevant analysis without the ability to contextualize and respond to real-time events.
• Ethical Considerations in AI: AI systems are trained on vast amounts of real-world data. As such, any biases present in our society can become embedded in these models. For example, Amazon once developed an AI recruitment tool that was later found to have a bias against female candidates. This wasn’t because the AI itself was inherently biased, but because the data it was trained on reflected historical hiring patterns. This is a stark reminder that training AI systems must be done carefully.
• Complex data interactions: In datasets where features interact in complex, non-linear ways, human expertise is crucial for feature engineering to understand these interactions.
• Handling unstructured data: Although future models may improve on sorting and processing unstructured data, it remains unlikely that this task will be an entirely independent process.

The tech world is constantly changing. Technologies that were once groundbreaking have become increasingly obsolete in a matter of years. This dynamic means that while AI is currently on an upward trajectory, it’s always possible that the landscape could shift in the other direction. These rapid changes also underline the importance of adaptability and lifelong learning for professionals in the sector.

While AI adapts rather quickly, these models need significant data to be useful. The problem with AI is not the training itself, but the lack of training data. Collecting, staging, cleaning, and evaluating training data for AI is not an easy task. For instance, when ChatGPT was tested on its ability to solve coding questions, it performed accurately with JavaScript but struggled with languages like Rust.

Raw data lacks meaning– it’s the interpretation that holds value. While AI can process data and even provide insights, the connection between these insights and their real-world implications is deeply human. Data scientists serve as bridges, translating complex data findings into actionable insights that align with business goals or societal needs.

Furthermore, the relational aspects of data science– presenting findings, advising stakeholders, and understanding the human elements affected by data-driven decisions– are where AI falls short. It’s here that data scientists provide a unique blend of technical expertise and human intuition.

As we tread further into the age of digital acceleration, AI integration into data science becomes an inevitability rather than a choice. It’s not about whether it’ll succeed in penetrating the data field, but rather its impact.

This isn’t the first time in history that an invention has seemingly “replaced” a job. People once said that once calculators were fast and inexpensive enough, mathematicians would be deemed irrelevant. Yet, even with calculators, high school mathematics can still be challenging.

This can also be seen in one of the most important software inventions of all time: the spreadsheet.

Case Study: VisiCalc

VisiCalc, introduced in the late 1970s, was the world’s first electronic spreadsheet software. A groundbreaking innovation at the time, it transformed the accounting and data management industries. Initial reactions were mixed– some viewed it as a potential threat to traditional accounting roles, with the assumption that automation would minimize the need for human accountants.

However, reality unfolded differently. Instead of reducing jobs, VisiCalc expanded the employment landscape for accountants. Automating basic calculations and data storage allowed accountants to venture beyond mere number-crunching. They began exploring more complex areas of financial analysis, strategy, and advising. Furthermore, stakeholders began to perceive and value accountants differently. No longer just bookkeepers, they became financial consultants and strategists, integral to business decision-making.

Coexistence or Competition?

Drawing parallels from the evolution of VisiCalc, integrating AI into data science is less about replacement and more about elevation. AI’s ability to automate repetitive tasks, handle vast data sets, and provide initial insights removes the burden of these manual tasks from data scientists, enabling them to dive deeper into complex analyses, work on strategy, and communicate more effectively with stakeholders.

Rather than narrowing the role of data scientists, AI can amplify their importance. Equipped with AI tools, data scientists can transition into a greater multi-dimensional role, blending technical expertise with business and strategic foresight. The future is one where AI collaborates with data scientists to amplify each other’s strengths to drive innovation and progress.

As the capability of AI continues to evolve, the skills of data professionals will similarly have to grow. While it’s impossible to really know what an AI-dominated workspace will look like before it is here, it’s clear that data scientists will have to upskill in order to stay relevant to industry needs.

To do this, Interview Query offers courses for you to stay up-to-date on data science skills, including machine learning, data analytics, SQL, etc. Check out our community forums for the latest industry trends.

For a more visual take on AI and data science, check out the following video: