I heard an excellent talk on “Data Analytics”, by Dr Michael Brand who is the founder and head of the analytics consultancy firm Otzma Analytics. Michael’s impressive CV includes a period as Chief Data Scientist at Telstra. He’s obviously bit of a “guru”, but his presentation (basically, the evolution of data analytics over recent decades) was great. There was quite a bit of jargon which went over a few heads, but many of us were “wowed” by what he said.
It sounds simple, doesn’t it – enterprises accumulate data, they just need guidance as to how to utilise it. But, wait a moment. Not only is there data and more data, but the ways in which you use it have greatly evolved in the past decades. I can’t hope to encapsulate Michael’s overview of the technical realities of advanced analytics and its business realities, but clearly we are only just beginning to see what can be done. Perhaps the biggest “take away” for me was just how much data there is – and it’s being collected at an ever-increasing rate.
The big concern for many of us is the misuse of date, such as with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica issue. I ventured a question about the Chinese “Social Credit Rating” program. Michael pointed out that this isn’t primarily a question of data collection, even though there are stories of the Chinese installing facial recognition cameras in the cities. In fact, the density of cameras in London is said to be greater than in Chinese cities. Cameras aren’t the only way to keep tabs on people (although they perhaps provide a lot of context) because mobile phones in many ways can perform the same task. The issue (and concern) is the way in which the Chinese are said to be using the data collected. Somewhat worrying, the regulations on this topic aren’t particularly clear in many countries (including Australia), although the European General Data Protection Regulation has much to be said for it.
We’re just beginning to face these issues. It’s started with social media, perhaps because people voluntarily give away so much information about themselves. However, data is being accumulated all the time from so many other sources. Who knows where it’s going to end.
Musings and Mutterings 