The relationship between AI assistants and data professionals is evolving rapidly, creating both opportunities and challenges. These tools can supercharge workflows by generating SQL, assisting with exploratory analysis, and connecting directly to databases—but they're far from perfect. How do you maintain the right balance between leveraging AI capabilities and preserving your fundamental skills? As data teams face mounting pressure to deliver AI-ready data and demonstrate business value, what strategies can ensure your work remains trustworthy? With issues ranging from biased algorithms to poor data quality potentially leading to serious risks, how can organizations implement responsible AI practices while still capitalizing on the positive applications of this technology? Christina Stathopoulos is an international data specialist who regularly serves as an executive advisor, consultant, educator, and public speaker. With expertise in analytics, data strategy, and data visualization, she has built a distinguished career in technology, including roles at Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, she spent over five years at Google and Waze, leading data strategy and driving cross-team projects. Her professional journey has spanned both the United States and Spain, where she has combined her passion for data, technology, and education to make data more accessible and impactful for all. Christina also plays a unique role as a “data translator,” helping to bridge the gap between business and technical teams to unlock the full value of data assets. She is the founder of Dare to Data, a consultancy created to formalize and structure her work with some of the world’s leading companies, supporting and empowering them in their data and AI journeys. Current and past clients include IBM, PepsiCo, PUMA, Shell, Whirlpool, Nitto, and Amazon Web Services.

In the episode, Richie and Christina explore the role of AI agents in data analysis, the evolving workflow with AI assistance, the importance of maintaining foundational skills, the integration of AI in data strategy, the significance of trustworthy AI, and much more.

Links Mentioned in the Show: Dare to DataJulius AIConnect with ChristinaCourse - Introduction to SQL with AIRelated Episode: The Data to AI Journey with Gerrit Kazmaier, VP & GM of Data Analytics at Google CloudRewatch RADAR AI 

New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile app Empower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

Breaking away from the corporate ladder to carve your own path is a journey filled with challenges, growth, and unexpected rewards. In this episode, we host Christina Stathopoulos: a trailblazer who transitioned from a Google role to entrepreneurship and gained experience trying to build her own company in Spain!  Together, we explore what it means to make an impact in your career, the art of building a personal brand, and how to navigate pivotal career decisions with confidence. Christina shares candid advice and discusses how embracing change can lead to unparalleled opportunities but also can lead to difficulties. Whether you're dreaming of stepping into entrepreneurship, striving to shape a meaningful career, or looking to grow your personal brand, this show will be packed with insights for data professionals! What You'll Learn: Actionable advice for shaping a career aligned with your goals and values. How to transition from corporate to entrepreneurship. The importance of building a personal brand and why it matters. Insights from working abroad: perspectives on career and growth.   Register for free to be part of the next live session: https://bit.ly/3XB3A8b   Follow us on Socials: LinkedIn YouTube Instagram (Mavens of Data) Instagram (Maven Analytics) TikTok Facebook Medium X/Twitter

We are overwhelmed by data today, and as data practitioners and leaders, our job is to aid the business in understanding what messages lie hidden within our data. The best way to make sense of this information overload is through proper data visualization - large amounts of data are easily digestible when represented visually in a graph or picture rather than in a table of numbers. In this session, you'll learn how to tap into the fact that humans are visual creatures. Capturing an audience's attention and displaying information in an interpretable way requires consideration at both the emotional and rational level. Data visualization is not just about technical prowess or business acumen, but also relies on design techniques and psychology. Join and learn how to elevate your data visualizations to the next level or take learnings back for your team - with the ultimate goal of influencing your key audiences through the power of data viz!