From robots and “smart” homes and cities to driverless cars, the possibilities surrounding the productive use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to captivate our imaginations. But, there is also some underlying unease perpetuated by headlines such as, “These Jobs Will be Dead Due to AI” or “Will AI Take Over the World?” Granted, automating certain job functions will naturally cause some angst, but this is nothing new. Throughout each facet of the Industrial Revolution and in almost every industry, human labor has been replaced — to a certain extent — with machines. But, in the midst of the SciFi infused imaginings influenced by Hollywood’s take on the ultimate dominance of machines (e.g., Robocop, The Terminator, etc.), there is a spectrum that has some truth and a heavy dose of reality.

Additionally, due to overzealous marketing efforts, data science and AI have been transformed from complex topics to mere catchphrases leveraged to increase click-through rates (CTRs) and Google search rankings. While these aren’t necessarily “bad” objectives, click-bait headlines and the rush to create “content” tend to generate more misapprehension surrounding these topics. We’ve covered data science extensively throughout other articles. The goal here is to clarify, as much as possible within a relatively short article, what AI is and how it intersects with a career in data science.

Additionally, due to overzealous marketing efforts, data science and AI have been transformed from complex topics to mere catchphrases leveraged to increase click-through rates (CTRs) and Google search rankings. While these aren’t necessarily “bad” objectives, click-bait headlines and the rush to create “content” tend to generate more misapprehension surrounding these topics. We’ve covered data science extensively throughout other articles. The goal here is to clarify, as much as possible within a relatively short article, what AI is and how it intersects with a career in data science.