The sixth seminar of Sabancı University's Data Science and Analytics seminar series was held on December 11. The guest of the seminar was Ipsos AI Director Arda Özkan, who shared his views on how artificial intelligence (AI) and data science can be used for smarter decision-making processes across sectors.
In his speech, Özkan focused on the integration of artificial intelligence into decision-making frameworks. He explained with examples how Ipsos, one of the world's largest market research companies, uses generative artificial intelligence to improve data collection and analysis processes. Özkan, who said, "Our goal is to turn unstructured data into actionable insights," emphasized the increasing dependence on automation and advanced analytical methods in marketing research, customer experience, and innovation processes.
Drawing attention to the complementary roles of artificial intelligence and human intelligence, Özkan argued that the potential of artificial intelligence reaches its highest level when combined with human creativity and evaluative power. He also touched on the ethical and practical challenges of large language models, such as data security and transparency.
The seminar concluded with the message stating that students and professionals should develop their core technical expertise in data science while also strengthening critical soft skills such as leadership and creativity. Özkan emphasized that the world needs talented data scientists who can lead in this era of transformation.