Data Science Careers of the Future: Roles and Skills for Students
At the 2024 AI Connect K-12 Data Science Conference, Jhonathan David of Xabios Data told students which data and AI roles he expects to grow. He covered strategists, data engineers, AI specialists, designers and teachers, and urged students to pick an industry first.
By The AI Enterprise Magazine Team3 min read
Key takeaways
- AI is a helping hand. David told students not to fear it, because it creates opportunities.
- Databases are the base of AI. People who can navigate large data sets will fill future roles.
- The roles are broad. Strategists, project managers, analysts, data scientists, engineers, ML specialists, designers, software engineers and teachers all appeared.
- Pick the industry, then the role. Whatever field students choose will need data and AI skills.
- Prepare and protect your health. He urged education in data and AI, and time for mental health.
At the 2024 AI Connect K-12 Data Science Conference, a virtual event held July 25, 2024, Jhonathan David, President and Chief Advisor of Data Analytics & Data Science at Xabios Data, gave students a map of the careers he expects to grow as data and AI spread. His talk ran about 15 minutes with time set aside for questions.
David's stated goal was to help the audience make good decisions about their futures. He described himself as a former banker in data analytics, with time at Bank of America and BBVA Compass, who later moved into consulting on data and AI transformation and has worked in that field for 14 years.
What are data science and AI, in plain terms?
David used a transportation analogy. People once rode horses or walked, then built machines to go faster. In his view, AI and data science are "the Formula One car" that gets people from place A to place B faster than any other vehicle.
Data, he said, can summarize almost any environment: cities, events, even the human body. Data science finds patterns in those data sets and predicts what may happen next.
He pointed to Netflix and Instagram as examples students already know. Their recommendation systems are data models that read huge numbers of likes and dislikes and predict what a user will want next.
Why does AI need people who can work with data?
David described AI as "a helping hand between the knowledge that's available in the world and the computers." He told students they should not be scared of it, because opportunities are coming their way.
AI rests on databases, he said. Businesses store financial, medical and other data in databases that can hold 100 values or a million, and no human brain can look at a million data points and see what is in them. That gap, David said, is where future careers arise: people who can access and navigate data and draw out what would otherwise stay unknown.
Which careers of the future did David highlight?
David drew the list from the roles he hires for in his own company:
- Data strategist, the role he plays, who meets clients and works out what AI can do with a business's data
- Project managers and IT architects to run delivery
- Data analysts, data scientists, data engineers and big data analysts, each with different skills
- AI and machine learning specialists, including subsets such as cybersecurity and medical-field specialists
- UI and UX designers, who shape how people interact with websites and software
- Software engineers
- Teachers, content creators and marketers, because the people building these tools have to be taught and the tools explained
He also said that whatever industry a student chooses, whether medicine or construction, workers will need to know how to work with data and AI.
How should students choose a path?
His advice was to start by choosing an industry, then decide what role within it fits: relationship management, project management, engineering, analytics, design, software or teaching.
David closed with two pieces of advice. "Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare to receive it," he said, urging students to get an education in data analytics, data science or AI because they will use it. And he asked them to "take care of your mental health" and make time to think, given how much information is thrown at them.
Where can students keep learning?
K-12 and early-career sessions are a regular part of AI Connect programming. For 2027, AI Connect has 24 free live webinars scheduled in four series: AI × Enterprise Panel Series, AI Demo Days, Agentic AI Showcases and Plug & Play Series. Registration for 2027 events is coming soon; see /webinars/.
Frequently asked questions
What careers will exist in data science and AI?
David named data strategists, project managers and IT architects, data analysts, data scientists, data engineers, big data analysts, AI and machine learning specialists, UI and UX designers, software engineers, and teachers and content creators.
How do students choose a data career?
He suggested deciding on an industry first, then choosing a role within it such as engineering, analytics, design or project management.
Why does AI need data science?
David said AI relies on databases, and people cannot make sense of a million-value database unaided, so data science and AI help navigate them.
This article is based on remarks by Jhonathan David, President and Chief Advisor of Data Analytics & Data Science, Xabios Data at AI Connect K-12 Data Science Conference 2024 on July 25, 2024. More coverage: More AI Connect Events.
Filed under: People, Culture & Leadership, AI Use Cases & Applications
