talk-data.com

Data science leadership is about more than just technical expertise—it’s about building trust, embracing AI, and delivering real business impact. As organizations evolve toward AI-first strategies, data teams have an unprecedented opportunity to lead that transformation. But how do you turn a traditional analytics function into an AI-driven powerhouse that drives decision-making across the business? What’s the right structure to balance deep technical specialization with seamless business integration? From building credibility through high-impact forecasting to creating psychological safety around AI adoption, effective data leadership today requires both technical rigor and visionary communication. The landscape is shifting fast, but with the right approach, data science can stand as a true pillar of innovation alongside engineering, product, and design. Bilal Zia is currently the Head of Data Science & Analytics at Duolingo, an EdTech company whose mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Previously, he spent two years helping to build and lead an interdisciplinary Central Science team at Amazon, comprising economists, data and applied scientists, survey specialists, user researchers, and engineers. Before that, he spent fifteen years in the Research Department of the World Bank in Washington, D.C., pursuing an applied academic career. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his interests span economics, data science, machine learning/AI, psychology, and user research. In the episode, Richie and Bilal explore rebuilding an underperforming data team, fostering trust with leadership, embedding data scientists within product teams, leveraging AI for productivity, the future of synthetic A/B testing, and much more. Links Mentioned in the Show: DuolingoDuolingo Blog: How machine learning supercharged our revenue by millions of dollarsConnect with BilalAI-Native Course: Intro to AI for WorkRelated Episode: The Future of Data & AI Education Just Arrived with Jonathan Cornelissen & Yusuf SaberRewatch RADAR AI  New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

The future of education is being reshaped by AI-powered personalization. Traditional online learning platforms offer static content that doesn't adapt to individual needs, but new technologies are creating truly interactive experiences that respond to each learner's context, pace, and goals. How can personalized AI tutoring bridge the gap between mass education and the gold standard of one-on-one human tutoring? What if every professional could have a private tutor that understands their industry, role, and specific challenges? As organizations invest in upskilling their workforce, the question becomes: how can we leverage AI to make learning more engaging, effective, and accessible for everyone? As the Co-Founder & CEO of DataCamp, Jonathan Cornelissen has helped grow DataCamp to upskill over 10M+ learners and 2800+ teams and enterprise clients. He is interested in everything related to data science, education, and entrepreneurship. He holds a Ph.D. in financial econometrics and was the original author of an R package for quantitative finance. Yusuf Saber is a technology leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience building and scaling data-driven organizations across the Middle East. He is the Founder of Optima and a Venture Partner at COTU Ventures, with previous leadership roles at talabat, including VP of Data and Senior Director of Data Science and Engineering. Earlier in his career, he co-founded BulkWhiz and Trustious, and led data science initiatives at Careem. Yusuf holds research experience from ETH Zurich and began his career as an engineering intern at Mentor Graphics. In the episode, Richie, Jo and Yusuf explore the innovative AI-driven learning platform Optima, its unique approach to personalized education, the potential for AI to enhance learning experiences, the future of AI in education, the challenges and opportunities in creating dynamic, context-aware learning environments, and much more. Links Mentioned in the Show: Read more about the announcementTry the AI-Native Courses:Intro to SQLIntro to AI for Work New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for busines

2025 promises to be another transformative year for data and AI. From groundbreaking advancements in reasoning models to the rise of new challengers in generative AI, the field shows no signs of slowing down. Last week Jonathan and Martijn scored their 2024 predictions, and scored highly, but what's in store for 2025?  Building on the insights from their 2024 predictions, we'll assess the future of generative AI, the evolving role of AI in education, the growing importance of synthetic data, and much more. In the episode, Richie, Jo, and Martijn discuss whether OpenAI and Google will maintain their dominance or face disruption from new players like Meta’s Llama and XAI’s Grok, the implications of recent breakthroughs in AI reasoning, the rise of short-form video generation AI in social media and advertising, the challenges Europe faces in keeping pace with the US and China in AI innovation and much more. Links Mentioned in the Show: Data & AI Trends & Predictions 2025Skill Track: AI Business FundamentalsRelated Episode: Reviewing Our Data Trends & Predictions of 2024 with DataCamp's CEO & COO, Jonathan Cornelissen & Martijn TheuwissenRewatch sessions from RADAR: Forward Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

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. Links Mentioned in the Show: Data & AI Trends & Predictions 2025Skill Track: AI Business FundamentalsRelated Episode: Data Trends & Predictions 2024 with DataCamp's CEO & COO, Jonathan Cornelissen & Martijn TheuwissenRewatch sessions from RADAR: Forward Edition New to DataCamp? Learn on the go using the DataCamp mobile appEmpower your business with world-class data and AI skills with DataCamp for business

In 2022, we saw significant developments in the field of data. From the emergence of generative AI to the growth of low-code data tools and AI assistants—these advancements signal an upcoming paradigm shift, where data-powered tools and machine learning systems will radically transform workflows across various professions. 2022 also saw digital transformation remain a major theme for organizations across industries as they sought to embrace new ways of working, reaching customers, and providing value. As 2023’s looming economic uncertainty puts pressure on organizations to maximize ROI from their investments, digital and data transformation will continue to be one of the key levers by which organizations can cut costs and scale value for their stakeholders. So we’ve invited DataCamp’s co-founders, CEO Jonathan Cornelissen and COO Martijn Theuwissen to break down the top data trends they are seeing in the data space today, as well as their predictions for the future of the data industry. Jonathan Cornelissen is the CEO and co-founder of DataCamp. As the CEO of DataCamp, he helped grow DataCamp to upskill over 10M+ learners and 2800+ teams and enterprise clients. He is interested in everything related to data science, education and entrepreneurship. He holds a PhD in financial econometrics, and was the original author of an R package for quantitative finance.

Martijn Theuwissen is the COO and co-founder of DataCamp. As the COO of DataCamp, he helps DataCamp’s enterprise clients on their data and digital transformation strategies, enabling them to make the most of DataCamp for Business’s offering, and helping them transform how their workforce uses data.