Data science is the collection of techniques and skills that allow you to extract useful information from huge amounts of raw data. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques including predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, natural language processing and data visualization. Its importance is widely recognized in the business world and its practitioners are highly in demand.

Data science is increasingly used in almost every sector, and in some cases it is an integral part of the strategies and operations of an business. It assists businesses in creating stronger marketing campaigns and better focus their product advertising. It assists in reducing financial risk by detecting fraud and making sure that equipment fails in industrial settings and manufacturing factories. It also helps block cyberattacks and other threats to IT systems.

For instance the algorithms that track the users of social media platforms as well as digital billboards can determine the patterns of shopping behavior of a person and then use that information to customize their marketing messages. This improves customer conversion rates which results in a greater ROI for marketers.

In the medical field, the ability to visualize, analyze and interpret innovative solutions for digital transformation large amounts of patient information has assisted doctors in diagnosing diseases and develop new treatments with greater accuracy. They also can practice preventive medicine, and look into treatment options quicker.

However some of the most alarming applications of data science are those that can have grave ethical implications. For instance the COMPAS Recidivism Risk Score used by law enforcement agencies to predict future criminality can be biased against African-Americans According to ProPublica.