ABU DHABI, UAE — In the modern era, where data is the new gold, the realms of data science and machine learning (ML) are undergoing rapid transformations. As businesses tap into the power of data, new trends are emerging, reshaping the very fabric of these fields.
Gartner, a global research giant, has spotlighted the pivotal trends steering the future of data science and machine learning. These trends are a testament to the growing importance of data in the vast universe of artificial intelligence (AI), especially as the spotlight turns to generative AI investments.
Peter Krensky, a leading voice at Gartner, observes, “As machine learning adoption continues to grow rapidly across industries, DSML is evolving from just focusing on predictive models, toward a more democratized, dynamic and data-centric discipline.”
He adds that the excitement around generative AI is adding fuel to this evolution. “While potential risks are emerging, so too are the many new capabilities and use cases for data scientists and their organizations.”
Here’s a closer look at the top trends delineated by Gartner:
Cloud Data Ecosystems: The future is cloud-native. By 2024, half of the new system deployments in the cloud will pivot from isolated software to integrated cloud data ecosystems.
Edge AI: The demand for processing data at its creation point is surging. Gartner forecasts that by 2025, a staggering 55 percent of all data analysis by deep neural networks will occur at the edge, a significant leap from 10 percent in 2021.
Responsible AI: AI needs a moral compass. By 2025, the dominance of pretrained AI models by a mere 1 percent of AI vendors will thrust responsible AI into the societal spotlight.
Data-Centric AI: The focus is shifting from models to data. Gartner envisions that by 2024, a whopping 60 percent of data for AI will be synthetic, offering a realistic simulation of scenarios and mitigating AI risks.
Accelerated AI Investment: The investment fervor in AI is unstoppable. Gartner predicts that by 2026, AI startups relying on foundational models will attract investments exceeding $10 billion.
A recent Gartner survey revealed that the buzz around ChatGPT has spurred 45 percent of executive leaders to amplify their AI investments. A significant 70 percent are exploring generative AI, while 19 percent have already transitioned to pilot or production mode.
In essence, as the world stands on the cusp of a data revolution, these trends offer a roadmap to the future, promising innovations that will redefine industries and societies.