Entering the industry today
AA: Last question. Consider the aspiring data scientists, and the next generation of future AI experts, leaders, and people transitioning to the field. What advice can you share with them about building a successful career in this space, in particular in terms of studies? A lot of people get confused: “Do I need formal university studies? How much of it is hands-on learning? Can I use massive, open, online courses?”
What is your take, having come from academia and now working in the R&D space? What advice can you give them on what’s realistic when developing a career in this field, both maybe in general as a practitioner but also as a researcher?
JW: It’s a very good question. Rather than answering that question directly, what I would say is that the first thing to do is to broaden your notion of what it means to have a career in data science or AI.
For most people, when talking about careers in data science and AI...