Data science is the collection of skills and processes that helps extract meaningful information from vast quantities of raw data. It covers a broad array of techniques and tools that include predictive analytics artificial intelligence natural language processing visualization of data, and many more. The importance of this technology in the business world is well-known, and its practitioners are in high demand.
Increasingly, data science is used in almost every industry and in certain cases, it is central to the operations and strategies of an business. Data science is helping businesses design stronger marketing campaigns as well as better focus their product advertising. It helps to manage financial risks by identifying fraud and prevents equipment failures in manufacturing and industrial factories. It also assists in blocking cyberattacks as well as other security threats to IT systems.
For instance the algorithms used to monitor users on social media platforms and on digital billboards can identify the shopping habits of a customer and use that data to customize their marketing messages. This increases conversion rates for customers and results in higher ROI for marketers.
In the field of medicine, the ability to visualize, analyze and interpret huge amounts of data about patients has assisted doctors in diagnosing illnesses and develop new treatments more accurately. It also has allowed them to practice preventive medicine and to explore treatment options more quickly.
Data science can be utilized in a manner that has grave ethical implications. According to ProPublica, the COMPAS Recidivism Risk score used by law enforcement agencies across the country to predict the likelihood of future crime could be biased towards African-Americans.