Will human data analysts still be needed?

With robots fast taking over many roles associated with data, let’s look at whether human data analysts will still be needed.

Table of Contents

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence has come on significantly over the last few decades, leaving many people wondering whether AI might replace humans when it comes to data analysis jobs.

AI is a name given to the computer systems created to perform tasks that are typically fulfilled by humans. This involves learning, problem-solving, decision-making, and reasoning. AI systems can often process large amounts of data at a super-fast speed and provide prompt analysis; however, without the input of a human brain, can they understand the data in a way a person might?

Human analysts

Data analysis may be a tech-based job, but artificial intelligence simply does not have the human qualities of empathy, experience, and insight. Data analysis is nuanced and requires a lot more than simply filtering through numbers and information. Humans can see the data and go beyond by showing an understanding of more than what is seen on the spreadsheet in front of them. Humans can use their worldly approach to judge and analyse the data.

AI limitations

For artificial intelligence to be in with a chance of replacing professionals working for a data analysis company, it would have to really step up. We acknowledge that some AI software can offer human-like standards; however, without understanding context, it will never do as good a job as people working for organisations such as https://shepper.com.

At this time, AI cannot be trained in the real world. Training costs a lot of money, so retraining models as the world changes is not necessarily an option.

Conclusion

We have established that AI is unlikely, at least in the near future, to replace data analysts entirely, but this doesn’t mean their jobs are secure. They may not be obsolete, but generative AI can indeed do a lot of the basic functions a human can do. Whichever way you look at it, the technology will either help professionals or take work from them.