Data Science Trends 2023: An Overview of Key

Themes
If the 21st century has shown us anything, it’s that big data is only going to
continue to get… well, bigger. In fact, even the name “big data” makes
reference to the ever-expanding nature of information technology that allows
for more and more valuable data to be captured and interpreted. Over the last
thirty years especially, we’ve witnessed the way that these insights can
transform how entire industries operate, from enhancing marketing research
and development to identifying areas for improvement in a company’s
production model.
But if big data has been trending for so long already, what developments is it
likely to undergo in the year to come? Experts have identified a few of the
following as key concerns for big data professionals in 2023:

 Advancing tools. Developments in A.I. and machine learning are certain

to continue to make leaps in the coming year, which in turn will greatly
impact the instruments data scientists have at their disposal to perform
their research and analysis. This has already significantly impacted most
branches of data science, all of which employ machine learning tools to
function. In part, this is because of the next factor on the list…
 Higher volumes of data. As a direct result of the advances in A.I. and
M.L. listed above, businesses are receiving a significantly larger amount
of data of all sorts. Some of this expands upon previously existing
datasets while other advances have brought in new forms of data
altogether. In both cases, adaptations are required to allow businesses
to make use of this data as well as finding safe and affordable ways to
store it. As you will see, this will be critical in businesses across
industries.
 Security threats. For better or worse, these are a perennial trend in the
world of data science, with new forms of cyberattack emerging
constantly. For those working in the field of cybersecurity, this means
strategic planning and rigorous research to identify data breaches as well
as preventing new ones. For everyone else working in big data, it means
that vigilance is always imperative, as certain types of cyberattacks like
phishing and other forms of data related fraud involve deceptive tactics
that could target them.

Read on to discover our list of the specific data science trends of 2023 for
insight into where we are and where we’re headed.
Data Analytics
Analytics is one of the key fields of data science likely to undergo major
transformations in the year ahead. Below are a few of the new data analytics
trends to look out for.
Real-Time Analytics

One of the top rising data trends of 2023 is real-time analytics. Data

capturing tools have improved in speed and scope, meaning we have access
to an even greater wealth of real-time information that can illuminate our
understanding of all sorts of processes. Companies are only just at the
beginning of learning how these data sets can be used to guide important
business decisions. If you are a data analyst or work in a related field, it will be
of great use to follow any news and updates about real-time analytics that
arise over the course of this year.
Mobile Analytics

Though it might seem like it couldn’t possibly continue to grow, the presence
of mobile devices is ever-expanding in communities all over the globe. This
means that there is significantly more mobile data to be captured. For certain
industries, mobile analytics are the core of their strategy, providing the most
revealing and useful information to guide marketing and advertising tactics.
This includes registering user engagement, customer satisfaction, monitoring
in-app traffic, and identifying security threats.

Artificial Intelligence
Recent years have made clear that artificial intelligence has made
monumental leaps that are likely to change not only the way we do business
but the way we live. Outside of data science, this has already risen to popular
consciousness: A.I. programs that augment or generate images and texts
have already begun to trend even among those who don’t know much about
information technology.
Below are a few of the ways that artificial intelligence is likely to continue to
trend in 2023.
Augmented Analytics

Within the field of big data, one of the main ways artificial intelligence is being
employed is to help collect the ever-increasing amounts of data being
captured and stored by new devices. This is in step with the global
population’s increased dependence on technology to go about their everyday
lives.
In order to keep up with the huge amounts of information that are continuously
coming in, machine learning and AI tools are improving their processing
functions to expedite this process, preparing and meaningfully analyzing a
tremendous amount of new data. This is known as Augmented
Analytics, and it can help businesses vastly.
Augmented analytics also fits into the category of Business Intelligence. The
field is expected to grow at a breathtaking speed in the years to come.
Deep Learning

When people think of A.I., what they imagine is most comparable to deep
learning, the branch of artificial intelligence devoted to training computers to
behave like humans. These respond to neural network architectures and large
sets of data that so far have been shown to be demonstrably effective. Indeed,
in 2023 data scientists and casual observers alike are likely to take note of the
increasing ability of computers to mirror human interactions.
For businesses, deep learning can be used to anticipate human behaviors,
which in turn can impact areas including marketing and overall business
strategies. As this technology grows more sophisticated, it will only continue to
transform our approach to customer service and impact how businesses
understand their customers’ needs.
Data Science Jobs
For those who are considering breaking into the field of big data, here’s some
exciting data science news: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
careers in big data are likely to be trending for years to come. This translates
to more job openings and higher overall salaries, as data scientists are
becoming ever-more valued by employers in all different sorts of industries.
Indeed, the numbers for data scientists are impressive by any metric: the
Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an estimated job growth rate of an
astonishing 36% by 2031, which is significantly higher than estimates for other
professions. Over the years, different regions across the United States have
become hubs for the tech industry, meaning an especially high concentration
of data science job opportunities are available. Statistics from May
2021 reveal that the states with the highest employment levels for data
scientists are California, New York, Texas, North Carolina, and Illinois.
In step with job growth projections, average data science salaries are
exceptionally high relative to other professions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reports a median annual salary of $100,910, with those in the highest-earning
industry of scientific research and development earning a median annual
salary of $102,750.

Businesses And Enterprises Moving To Cloud-

Based Operations
In step with the increased amounts of data being captured by advanced tools,
there is a growing need for enhanced storage solutions. Cloud computing is
quickly being embraced as the solution to this problem, offering vastly
improved storage opportunities that can keep up pace with the changing state
of data capturing. In fact, most are beginning to consider it the very
environment in which data-based business will be stored moving forward,
though other storage options are technically available.
Of cloud-based computing service options available, the current game-
changer is hybrid cloud, which makes use of machine learning and A.I.
technology to offer a centralized database that is more cost-efficient than
private cloud solutions (which can be all but completely out of reach in terms
of cost for smaller businesses) and more secure than public cloud options.
The hybrid cloud option is likely to become even more popular in 2023.
Cloud computing impacts the field of big tech in an enormous variety of ways,
touching the fields of data science, customer interactions, Artificial
Intelligence, transactional systems, DevOps, and more. If you are interested in
or employed in any of those fields, staying abreast of developments in cloud-
based technology will be crucial to managing your database efficiently and
preserving it for the long term.

Data Visualization Advancements

Several advancements in the field of data visualization are likely to be notable
in 2023. Below are a few of the most important pieces of data science news to
follow.
Data Visualization Videos

Those who are interested in pursuing careers in data visualization will be

interested to learn about the trend toward using video for data visualization.
Opting to use video instead of photos or text has been shown to significantly
increase not only viewers’ engagement while watching but also increase their
levels of fact retention in the days and even weeks after reviewing the data.
The central goal of data visualization is to help translate highly inaccessible
information to be not comprehensible for business leaders who will make key
decisions based on their findings. Because of this, sharing data sets through
an entirely new medium that has been proven to be effective could be game
changing for the field, expanding our capacity to learn at the same time that
we expand our access to data.
Mobile-Optimized Visualization

Those who work in the arena of data visualization must be mindful not only of
not only the medium in which they are working but the interface on which it will
be seen. For those who provide data visualizations for remote clients, it’s
important to remember that they may often review data visualizations on their
mobile devices, meaning your visualization methods must be optimized to suit
phones and tablets in addition to computers. Though it may sound simple,
ease of access is a crucial factor in establishing long-term relationships with
your clients, which means it’s imperative to confirm that your visualization
products are reaching them quickly and straightforwardly. This is another data
science trend to look out for in 2023.

Data as a Service (DaaS)

Having already begun to blossom, the field of DaaS is likely to continue to
expand. For those not familiar with the term, Data as a Service is the industry
in which organizations that have worked with data for decades share their
expertise as well as their intellectual property with clients. This is because
they possess uncommon insight into the workings of data that many data
scientists seek to cultivate.
Because of the data industry’s ever-growing boom, Data as a Service is all but
guaranteed to become an even more widespread industry, offering a great
number of job opportunities to those who wish to specialize in the field. This is
yet another piece of data science news to stay on the lookout for, as it’s likely
to become a crucial part of data management.
Deepfake Video And Audio
Deepfake technology is another example of a tech-world development that
has captured attention far outside of the field of big data. This is technology
that can vividly create audio or video content by manipulating existing
documents. Already, convincing video and audio clips have surfaced featuring
public figures saying or doing things that they did not actually do, with highly
destructive consequences. Indeed, the implications of this are vast, posing
threats not only to the reputations of individuals but also causing destructive
political misunderstandings.
Beyond these public examples of deepfake technology being weaponized,
businesses in particular should be on the lookout for deepfake scams.
Amazing though it may seem, the speech patterns and voices of individuals
can be learned and mimicked by machines and used in automated
cyberattacks. One famous example of this was in 2019, when a U.K.-based
energy company was scammed out of close to a quarter million euros by a
fraudulent phone call made using deepfake software to imitate the voice of a
top-ranking executive.
Unfortunately, concern about deepfake technology will only continue to grow
as machines continue to improve, becoming more convincing in what they are
able to represent, quicker in their execution, and accurate in their
responsiveness when interacting with real individuals. For those interested in
the field of cybersecurity, this is an important new type of cyberattack to
consider.

Python Growth
Python has long been one of the leading programming languages in data
science, and in recent years has become the standard programming language
for those in the field of data analysis. This is only likely to increase in the
coming year, thanks to its relative ease of use (it is many beginners’ first
programming language), its large number of data science libraries and
machine learning libraries, and its availability for use in designing blockchain
applications. Because of this, experts suggest that we are likely to see Python
become the #1 programming language overall for data scientists, outpacing
the other leading programming languages (javascript, java, and r).
If you are interested in pursuing a career in the data sciences, the message
here is clear: if you have a choice of which programming language to learn
first, Python is your strongest choice. Because of its rising popularity, it is
possible that your degree program will also make teaching Python a priority
for new students.
Cybersecurity
Below are a few of the key issues in cybersecurity that data scientists will face
in the year ahead.
Adversarial Machine Learning Combating

Among the key targets of recent cyberattacks have been machine learning
algorithms – the same system that has been radicalizing the world of big data
in a whole variety of ways mentioned above. To prevent this, cybersecurity
experts are working overtime to study adversarial machine learning to
understand how these attacks work and what they can do to help prevent
them in the future.
Indeed, there is reason to fear that these systems are under threat. A recent
study by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) speaks in
no uncertain terms, stating, “industry practitioners are not equipped with
tactical and strategic tools to protect, detect and respond to attacks on their
Machine Learning (M.L.) systems.” They argue that this is because data
science research has so far been out of step with the rapidly growing
capacities of M.L., which, being so instrumental to so many big data functions,
is a major target for cyberattacks. Their study reveals that these systems
themselves are not just attractive to cyberattackers but highly vulnerable, as
they are insufficiently understood by data scientists.
For those interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity, advances in
adversarial machine learning is a piece of data science news to follow in 2023,
as it is likely to make a lasting impact on many parts of the cybersecurity
profession.
Consumer Data Protection

Security scandals have been a huge part of data science news over the years,
in particular the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which exposed the illegal
harvesting of private data accessed through individuals’ Facebook accounts to
inform political campaigning. Indeed, data breaches of this nature are a huge
source of anxiety and outrage among the public. This expands the job of
cybersecurity experts whose efforts will not only help protect the companies
they work for but will also contribute to the overall data safety of the public.
While cybersecurity experts will help figure out best practices for creating
security programs as well as strategies to prevent increasingly sophisticated
cyberattacks, there will also be significant efforts made in the realm of data
science law to curb organizations’ and individuals’ ease of accessing data that
is meant to be private.

Additional Resources for Those Pursuing a Career

in Data Science
If reading our Data Science Trends 2023 list is making you excited about the
many developments in big data that are already transforming our world, you
may be a perfect candidate to pursue a data science degree. As the article
above may have made clear, there is a huge variety of career paths available
in the world of data science, and choosing one early will help you gain the
education and specialized skills you need to build a thriving career.
To learn more about the many career paths you can take in the world of big
data, take a look at our comprehensive guide here.
One of the most popular specializations for data scientists is the field of data
analytics, which itself can lead to a huge number of more specific focus areas.
To learn more about the world of analytics and discover if it may be the right
path for you, visit our guide to a career in analytics here.
After determining your area of focus, the next step is to find the data science
program that is right for you. Data scientists can hold a huge variety of
degrees and certifications, though the most common route to a high-earning
data science career is through a master’s degree program. To learn more
about educational opportunities and find the one that is right for you, visit our
data science program guide here.
Finally, if you have great abilities with numbers but aren’t certain which
industry is the right one to plot your career, we can help you survey the many
options available to you. Our guide to exploring a career with numbers will
give you the lay of the land so you can make a decision that will make the
most of your interests and skills.