What does an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist do?

Digitization is changing our working world from the ground up. This is why new job descriptions are emerging. But what is hidden behind the designations? We want to make that tangible in “And what are you doing?” Today: Fidel Gil, Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist at Matelso.

What does a … do Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist?

BASIC thinking: Hello Fidel, you work as an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist at the MarTech company Matelso. Describe to us in four sentences how you explain your job to friends.

It’s sometimes a real challenge, because I always have to catch up. First of all, I always explain to real laypeople what we do as a company: The MarTech company Matelso develops software solutions for marketing departments in companies – but also for other areas such as sales or service.

This includes our renowned call tracking technology, which helps marketers learn more about their customers and make their online marketing strategies more efficient.

But above all, our new product, the Matelso Platform, with which we bring together (video) telephony, chat, email and other direct communication channels between companies and their customers in one place. This data then enables better and value-adding business decisions.

Only then do I start talking about my job: As an AI expert, I build applications for our platform that automatically analyze the data collected and show ways in real time how the customer experience can be improved. So I’m making our system smarter.

Everyday work as an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist

What does a normal day look like in your job?

A normal day in the life of an AI specialist usually looks like this: First, turn on the computer, second, on our agile planning tools, we use JIra, check what is currently pending, and third, read emails and check the calendar to see what else is planned is. Then the work begins!

And that means for me: developing, setting up and optimizing data models, visualizing data, finding trends or extracting information from larger data sets.

These then flow into our algorithms and into the AI ​​system. In addition, I develop models that analyze and make usable the specific content of direct conversations via e-mail, (video) calls, chats or contact forms and offer insights into people’s communication habits.

At the same time, the standards that every IT person knows are still running: Daily discussions and meetings in which we assign goals and tasks and compare the results of the previous day. These are always sources of inspiration for us, as we exchange ideas and experiences here.

The tasks as Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist

And what do you start the day with?

I think I’m a bit out of character here among the developers – they are often real coffee junkies. For me, things are a bit easier on the nerves: First, I get a fresh fruit juice from the fridge or I make myself some tea – depending on the weather. That’s how I gather energy and get good vibes for the day. Only then does my morning routine start.

What tasks are in your area?

When it comes to the area of ​​AI and how this technology should be integrated into our digital customer experience platform and work, I am the contact person for the entire product management team. I play a key role in deciding which AI tools are used to solve specific challenges or to implement new features in our system.

And of course I also program and integrate the applications, algorithms and data models.
Another important aspect of my job is to continuously identify and evaluate the feasibility of our projects and potential risks in order to identify them as early as possible and to identify and develop realistic solutions.

It is important to always look at the big picture and keep an eye on all the trades of the platform – all functionalities and elements must always mesh seamlessly. It’s simply not a good feeling when you conceptualize something that then disappears back into the drawer for technical, logical or computational reasons – or digital dust catches on the hard drive.

job definition

How do you personally define and interpret your job as an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist?

In short: For me, the task is to obtain relevant data and to derive value-added meaning for our customers from this. As simple as this sentence may sound, what lies behind it has it all – in a positive and challenging way. It is important to answer questions such as: Where do we get this data from?

Are they representative of reality? Can we collect more data – and if so, where? And: Are there any legal consequences for handling this specific data? And when it comes to the data, the rub is already in the pepper: one of the most challenging tasks in my field of activity is the collection of the relevant information in compliance with the guidelines.

Because without it, all other aspects are practically doomed to failure. Only then does my further expertise come into play: knowing which specific conclusions can be drawn from various data and how to make them actionable for our customers – i.e. analyzing and evaluating how they can be used to add value.

There are a number of tools that can be used for this: graphics that visualize trends that are difficult to identify, or models that can be used to classify objects or make predictions about future events. So it’s exciting what I deal with every day.

Incorporation into the corporate structure

How is your position integrated into the company structure? Say: Who do you report to and with whom do you work?

I report directly to our Head of Product Management, who oversees all three areas of our product team – Base Services, Product, IT Infrastructure. The topic of artificial intelligence is so important to the development of our company that it extends to all other areas of software development.

That’s why I continuously work very closely with all other areas of the company to research and develop further use cases and technologies. I always have to be up to date on what my colleagues are planning for their modules and how I can support them with my work and my know-how – and then how everything fits together.

Of course, the role of the Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist is interpreted differently in every company. What perspectives are you missing out on that are fundamentally part of the job description?

I am currently doing exactly what I had in mind and what corresponds to the job description for my profile. With our Matelso Platform, we are now on a development journey that is far from over.

I’m already looking forward to tackling the next milestone. Develop analysis and visualization tools that make it possible to derive trends and forecasts from the collected data and thus provide valuable behavioral forecasts.

We’re not quite there yet, but only because we still don’t have the necessary amount of user data in the system. But that’s only a matter of time. It’s our turn and ready!

Fun and gratitude at work

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I’m lucky with this job at Matelso. I was able to start right here doing what I love and what I’ve been preparing for for so long. It was one of my childhood dreams to work with computers. And now I’m not just using them, I’m teaching them to automate and intelligently complete a variety of complex tasks.

And also the expressions on the faces of my colleagues, who watch in amazement and try out how the machines I have programmed do exactly what they are supposed to do live and in color, give me a great feeling of pride in my work. That’s really indescribable.

What are you particularly grateful for?

It might sound like a cliché, but what I really appreciate most is that I get to work on something I enjoy and find fulfillment. And: That I work for a company that not only inspires with its vision, but also with an extraordinary team and shows perspectives for the future – both technologically and personally.

---

---

How to become an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist?

In the digital industry, there is often no longer the classic training. How did you get your position?

After completing my master’s degree at the TU Kaiserslautern, I started looking for jobs in the field of Data Science & Machine Learning. And with my very first application, I landed a hit right away: at Matelso.

The rest is pretty much history. I think I got the job because I was doing my master’s thesis on the topic “Accent Based Speech Emotion Recognition for Human Robot Interaction” – specifically: I developed data models that enable a machine to recognize emotions from the human voice to read out.

This fitted in perfectly with the company’s previous profile and with Matelso’s “Voice Matters” motto. In addition, I have the right hands-on mentality to occupy this relatively new field for us and to drive it forward together with my colleagues.

Tips for career changers and newcomers

What tip would you give to a newcomer or interested career changer who also wants to become an Artificial Intelligence & Data Science Specialist?

Before applying, I recommend newcomers to build their own proof-of-concept (POC) with simple data sets. The data can be geared towards anything, such as a personal hobby.

Based on this, a complete pipeline should then be carried out – from data visualization and analysis to model training and testing. This is the best way to prove your complete know-how to a potential employer. I have the same tip ready for career changers.

In this case, however, the data used should be based on the specialist knowledge acquired so far. But the most important thing is: patience! And practice, practice, practice! A lot of things about the interaction of data, algorithms and models only become clear after you have gone through the processes several times. But that’s part of it. So step on the gas!

Thank you Fidel!

Also interesting: