If my company automates the work I do and moves me to another role or lets me go by 2025 I will resolve yes. If I am still in my current role, or if I am promoted and another person is hired into my previous role, I will resolve no.
So if the promotion doesn't count, I think the question is more like whether your company will
use any AI tools or ML to automate your current workload. In this case, I'll say no. Base on Randstad or current Al environment, I mean yes, AI are quite handy for analyzing data more efficiently and sometimes even accurately. However, these new technologies still have some challenges to overcome in order to completely replace data analyst role. Especially, when it comes to what's the main strength and value of data analyst, Ai can't easily figure out the essential of analytical skills(critical thinking) or somethings related to ethical judgement or emotional intelligence. For instance, the main point of making a dashboard is not just simple statistic graphs from raw data, instead finding what's the value or pattern in the data to make better outcomes or decisions. Overall, I'll say no. AI won't replace your job by 2025, instead, making your jobs more quick and insightful.
I don't necessarily think AI will replace Data Analysts as much as it will be more about transforming our roles and upgrading our job descriptions.
According to an article by Forbes, "As we’ve seen, ChatGPT can easily automate some of the tasks that are traditionally carried out in analytical jobs – such as business, data, and financial analyst roles. Future iterations of the technology are likely to become even more effective and efficient at doing so.
But that doesn’t mean that anyone who works in an analytical role is going to be out of a job right away. This is primarily because today’s most sophisticated LLMs and NLP tools still lack abilities like critical thinking, strategic planning, and complex problem-solving. Most experts agree that it isn’t likely that machine learning-based tools will be able to carry out these functions at the same level as humans any time soon.
It's likely that businesses and other organizations will still have a need for humans who are experts in this field for some time to come.
Having said that, analytics roles that only require repetitive work are likely to become largely automated in the near future, and it’s probably inevitable that some jobs will be lost due to this. (Marr, B. (2023, February 7). Will ChatGPT Put Data Analysts Out Of Work?)
Will ChatGPT Put Data Analysts Out Of Work? (forbes.com)
According to ROTEM YIFAT, Product Marketing Manager at Pecan AI:
"While generative AI has the capability to automate certain aspects of data-related work, it’s unlikely to replace human creativity, strategic thinking, and the need for a human touch. Instead, it will continue to evolve as a tool that enhances our capabilities and productivity."
I believe both the above sources are credible, especially Rotem's take on the debate since she is a product marketing manager at Pecan AI, marketing AI but who still believes AI does at the end of the day have limitations that need to be bridged by human intelligence.
Does AI Spell the End for Data Analysts? | Pecan AI