I’m an analytics professional, and I take real pride in what I do.
I’ve been doing this since before there were university degrees in Data Science and before it was called Data Science. I still remember explaining my work at a social gathering with an example like usual and someone replied, “Oh, so you mean like advanced analytics?” I thought, Wow, people actually know what that is now.
Over the years, I’ve seen phrases and phases come and go. Anyone remember Big Data? And I don’t know if “data is still the new oil” or if its AI now.
The point is the claim that “this new innovation in the field will take your job” isn’t new to me. And honestly, I’ve never been worried.
Until now.
The recent leaps in AI have made me pause. They’ve made me take a hard look at what I do and ask myself: Should I be worried?
To answer that, I must start with a basic question: what is the value of what I do?
The role of data has always been to enable something.
No one stops at just having data. It is used to make decisions, solve problems, and guide action.
If we think of an organisation as a living organism, data is like nutrition, needed to function and stay healthy and grow.
That makes my role a bit like a chef.
And has innovation replaced chefs?
I never learned to cook as a child. In my early twenties, living alone, I stared at a pantry full of ingredients without knowing where to start. I learned through trial and error, and cookbooks. Then came YouTube and now, services like HelloFresh have made it even easier to put together a meal.
But did any of that replace chefs? No.
If you’re hungry and can choose between a chef serving you exactly what you want on a plate, or you doing it yourself with a kit, which would you pick?
For organisations, “done for you” in data analytics doesn’t mean removing the noise, interpreting the patterns, and presenting an answer so clear that the decision is obvious.
AI can now make recommendations too, but will the exec team take a recommendation from an AI engine?
AI in analytics is what a knife is to a surgeon. It’s not safe in anyone else’s hand.
A good analytics professional knows how to take AI’s recommendation, challenge it if necessary, and say to the organisation:
“Your next steps should be X, and here’s why.”
So, this is why I’m not worried (yet).
AI is a powerful sous-chef. But for now, it still needs a head chef in the kitchen.
Gazal Kapoor is a Senior Manager for Analytics at Transport for NSW. With over 15 years of experience, she has worked across geographies (India, USA, and Australia) and industries, including Retail, Consumer Banking, Market Research, Health Insurance, and Transport. Gazal is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to drive impactful decision-making and has held leadership roles at organizations such as Teachers Health, DBM Consultants, and Commonwealth Bank.
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