{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
    "content" : "news",
    "type" : "single",
    "title" : "Machine Learning Paired with Skilled Data Scientists is the Future of Data-Driven Decision Making |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Machine Learning Paired with Skilled Data Scientists is the Future of Data-Driven Decision Making",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/10/03/machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"Machine Learning Paired with Skilled Data Scientists is the Future of Data-Driven Decision Making","summary" : "ML can provide high-value services for data management and analytics, security threat detection, and process improvement but it doesn’t stop there.","date" : "2017-10-03T12:05:00-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"jada-jones" : "Jada Jones"},"topics" : {
        
            "analytics" : "Analytics",
            "artificial-intelligence" : "Artificial intelligence",
            "emerging-tech" : "Emerging tech",
            "open-data" : "Open data",
            "robotic-process-automation" : "Robotic process automation"
            },"featured_image" : { "uid" :
  "3d-rendering-of-robot-face-zapp2photo-istock-thinkstock-675938062", "alt" :
  "" },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2017-10-03-machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2017/10/2017-10-03-machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2017/10/2017-10-03-machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2017/10/2017-10-03-machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making.md","slug" : "machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/10/03/machine-learning-paired-with-skilled-data-scientists-future-datadriven-decision-making/","content" :"\u003cp\u003eAlthough the term \u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning\"\u003eMachine Learning (ML)\u003c/a\u003e was coined in 1959, it’s advancement and development has never been more critical than it is today, particularly within government agencies. As the amount of data being produced, manipulated, and stored exponentially increases, so does the very real threat of \u003ca href=\"http://www.nextgov.com/technology-news/tech-insider/2017/04/machine-learning-technologies-help-agencies-develop-highly-intelligent-security-postures/137061/\"\u003ecyber-security breaches\u003c/a\u003e and fraud. Meanwhile, federal budgets and staff resources continue to decrease. ML can provide high-value services for federal agencies including data management and analytics, security threat detection, and process improvement—but the list does not stop there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMachine Learning is a type of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that takes human-input data, analyzes it, and learns from it. Three types of learning can occur: supervised learning in which the machine analyzes past high quality data and makes decisions about future data with the learned knowledge, unsupervised learning in which the machine makes inferences about future data based on patterns it finds within past data, and a combination of the two.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n        src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/machine-learning-to-improve-artificial-intelligence-ability-for-predictions-nicoelnino-istock-thinkstock-539953610.jpg\"alt=\"Machine learning improves artificial intelligence ability for predictions.\"/\u003e\u003cp\u003eNicoElNino/iStock/Thinkstock\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to \u003ca href=\"https://www.meritalk.com/study/navigating-the-cybersecurity-equation/\"\u003ea recent MeriTalk survey\u003c/a\u003e, 81% of feds are currently utilizing some form of Big Data analytics for cybersecurity, while only 45% found their efforts to be “highly effective.” These numbers are staggering considering that Big Data is still a relatively new discipline to most people. \u003ca href=\"http://www.kdnuggets.com/2017/05/machine-learning-overtaking-big-data.html\"\u003eGoogle Trends Analyses\u003c/a\u003e show that traditional Big Data is being phased out just as fast as it initially exploded, and that it will soon be replaced with AI applications and Machine Learning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut not to fear, Machine Learning will not replace humans; not yet anyway. This is where data scientists come in. Data scientists are a critical component of Machine Learning for analytics and data-based predictions. Data scientists conduct statistical and algorithm modeling, and determine which ML platform is best suited for the data. \u003ca href=\"https://opensource.com/article/16/11/python-vs-r-machine-learning-data-analysis\"\u003eR and Python\u003c/a\u003e are currently the two most popular programming languages in ML. More importantly, the data scientist must determine what the machine will \u003cem\u003edo\u003c/em\u003e with the data. \u003ca href=\"http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/07/28/machine-learning-applications\"\u003eInnovative companies such as Yelp, Facebook, and Google have already fully implemented ML into their platforms\u003c/a\u003e.  For example, for a company like Yelp, the site’s tens of millions of images ARE its data set.  Highly skilled data scientists must first teach the bot how to classify the existing images as well as rules for classifying future images.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course, most federal agencies wouldn’t consider images a major component of their critical data; however the same concepts can be applied to whatever data needs to be classified, analyzed, secured, or visualized.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies improve, the need for highly trained data scientists will only increase. Very soon, machines will have the ability to conduct more accurate analysis with even less data, but this will only be possible with expert statistical modeling and perfected algorithms created by data scientists. According to \u003ca href=\"https://ep.jhu.edu/about-us/faculty-directory/1522-heather-benz\"\u003eDr. Heather Benz, Applied Biomedical Engineer, Johns Hopkins\u003c/a\u003e; “We are teaching more and more of our engineering students about how to design next-generation technologies that incorporate machine learning. There will only be an increase in need for individuals who can understand, design, and leverage these tools. They have broad applications in everything from business intelligence to consumer electronics to medical devices, but there is a lot of nuance to how they’re built, used, and validated.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSorry to disappoint all of you “\u003ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/?ref_=nv_sr_3\"\u003eTerminator\u003c/a\u003e” fans out there, but I don’t think the robots will be taking over the world anytime soon. Instead, the robots can help to protect mission-critical information and advance public health and public service missions across the federal government.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n        src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/3d-rendering-of-robot-face-zapp2photo-istock-thinkstock-675938062.jpg\"alt=\"A 3-D rendering of a robot face against a dark abstract background of blue bokeh lights and buildings.\"/\u003e\u003cp\u003eZapp2Photo/iStock/Thinkstock\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eLearn more about some innovative ways that federal agencies are utilizing Machine Learning:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/idealab/dscolab-curriculum/\"\u003eThe HHS Data Science Colab\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2017-03-16\"\u003eDARPA Lifelong Learning Machines\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://ml.jpl.nasa.gov/public/mls/projects.shtml\"\u003eNASA Machine Learning Projects\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDisclaimer\u003c/strong\u003e: All references to specific brands and/or companies are used only for illustrative purposes and do not imply endorsement by the U.S. federal government or any federal government agency.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eInterested in connecting with other feds exploring machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and similar innovations? Check out our new \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/08/24/emerging-tech-and-open-data-for-a-more-open-and-accountable-government/\"\u003eEmerging Citizen Technology program\u003c/a\u003e and join the related \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/\"\u003eCommunities of Practice\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}