#273 Reviewing Our Data Trends & Predictions of 2024 with DataCamp's CEO & COO, Jonathan Cornelissen & Martijn Theuwissen
Jan 9, 2025
auto_awesome
Join Jo Cornelissen, CEO of DataCamp, and Martijn Theuwissen, COO, as they dive into the transformative year for data and AI. They discuss the rapid adoption of generative AI and its shift from prototype to daily use. The duo highlights the growing importance of AI literacy and the convergence of data science with software engineering. Listeners will learn about emerging programming trends and the challenges of data governance. With predictions for 2025, they emphasize the ongoing relevance and hype surrounding AI advancements.
The mainstream adoption of generative AI is evident, with usage among Americans rising from 20-30% to nearly 50%, highlighting its growing relevance.
There is an emerging convergence between data science and software engineering, leading to new AI-specific roles and a transformation in required skills.
Deep dives
AI Hype and Demand
Concerns have emerged among investors regarding the profitability of AI, with some suggesting that the hype surrounding it is declining. However, data from Google Trends shows a continuous rise in interest for AI-related searches, indicating that demand for AI technologies remains strong. This suggests that the narrative of AI's diminishing relevance may be overstated, as the actual usage and integration of AI tools into daily life appear to be increasing. Overall, the evidence supports the perspective that the excitement surrounding AI is far from over.
Mainstream Adoption of Generative AI
The podcast discusses the widespread acceptance of generative AI, which was predicted to become mainstream. Recent data indicates that the usage of models like ChatGPT among Americans has surged, with an increase from 20-30% at the beginning of the year to nearly half of the population currently using these tools. Despite this growth, daily usage still reflects a niche audience primarily comprising students and professionals in marketing and customer support. The podcast highlights that while generative AI has penetrated the mainstream, further efforts are needed for broader daily adoption across diverse demographics.
Convergence of Data and Software Engineering
There is a notable trend of convergence between the data science and software engineering fields, with increased interest from software engineers in AI applications. This shift is evidenced by a rise in software engineers pursuing skills related to AI and generative models, as well as the emergence of AI-specific roles like AI engineers. The blending of these two domains is fostering a common language and tools, such as the rise of prompting techniques that both groups can utilize. This growing overlap suggests a significant transformation in the skill requirements for engineers moving forward.
Reality vs. Hype in AI Tools
There remains a distinction between the continued hype surrounding AI tools and their actual integration into mainstream software functions. While AI features are increasingly being embedded into various applications, this does not yet equate to a normalization of AI as commonplace software. For instance, traditional software tools have long been established and standardized, while AI tools still evoke a sense of uniqueness and wonder among users. Although there is movement towards AI tools being treated as standard software, the podcast concludes that the fascination and hype persist, particularly for innovative features still in development.
2024 was another huge year for data and AI. Generative AI continued to shape the way we work and interact with technology, with companies of all sizes racing to integrate AI into their products. We saw strides in tools like AI-enhanced data science notebooks, rapid adoption of generative image AI, and a steady march toward video generation AI. At the same time, foundational skills like AI literacy and data governance gained traction as critical areas for individuals and organizations to master.
This time last year, DataCamp Co-Founders Jonathan and Martijn made a series of predictions and data and AI for 2024, today, they join Richie to reflect on their 2024 predictions and share their vision for data and AI in 2025.
In the episode, Richie, Jonathan, and Martijn review the mainstream adoption of generative AI and its journey toward daily use, the rise of AI literacy as a critical skill, the growing overlap between data science and software engineering with the emergence of AI engineers, evolving trends in programming languages, how generative AI has moved from prototype to production, the near-mainstreaming of video generation AI, why AI hype continues to thrive and much more.