Data science is a set of skills and processes that allow you to extract useful information from massive amounts of raw data. It encompasses a wide range of techniques and tools that include predictive analytics artificial intelligence natural language processing data visualization and more. Its significance is widely acknowledged in the business world and its practitioners are highly in demand.
In the present, data science is used in almost every industry and, in some instances, it is central to the operations and strategies of an organization. It assists businesses in creating more effective marketing campaigns and to better determine the best time to advertise their products. It assists in reducing financial risk by identifying fraud and making sure that equipment fails in manufacturing and industrial plants. It also helps to block cyber attacks and other threats to IT systems.
As an example, the algorithms that track the customers of digital billboards and social media platforms can determine the shopping habits of a consumer. Marketers can then customize their messages to take advantage of this information. This helps increase conversion rates and results in an increase in ROI for marketers.
In the medical field, the ability to visualize and analyze huge amounts of patient information has helped doctors come up with new treatments and diagnose diseases more precisely. They also can apply preventive medicine and research treatment options faster.
Data science can be utilized in a manner that has grave ethical implications. According to ProPublica, the efficient data handling for optimal performance 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.