10 tools to make your data AI-ready

Great ideas can quickly become not-so-great with poor data in machine learning and #AI. Examples are numerous. For one, 微软 's Tay chatbot started spewing offensive and racist remarks that it learned from interactions on Twitter . For another, Google Photos once mislabeled a black couple. Lastly, Tesla ’s autopilot still sometimes fails to recognize stationary objects.

The problem is, all datasets are flawed. And human factor in processing and preparing data for algorithm training plays a significant role.

• I already discussed the importance of data collection in AI development, so if you missed it, go ahead and check it out.

Today, let's talk about tools for improving your data for machine learning and avoiding common problems that come with manual data preparation.

Data cleaning tools

Data cleaning (or cleansing) involves identifying and removing data points that don't fit the expected pattern in order to improve the accuracy of machine-learning algorithms. Here are some popular tools for this task:

• OpenRefine : This open-source tool cleans, transforms, and prepares data. It's easy to use and works quickly with large datasets. Its strength is identifying errors within data, though it struggles with splitting data by rows and exporting subsets.
• Pandas : Being a Python library, Pandas is the top choice for Python-based projects. It offers powerful tools for data manipulation and integrates well with Matplotlib and Seaborn for robust visual data exploration. However, it's not ideal for very large sets of unstructured data.
• R: Specifically packages like dplyr, reshape, and others from the tidyverse family. R was written by statisticians specifically for data manipulation, providing a comprehensive set of built-in functionality for these tasks.
• Apache Spark : This is an open-source analytics engine designed for big data and machine learning. It works very quickly but can be prone to memory issues. However, there are strategies to work around these.
• Talend : An open-source data integration platform, Talend provides various tools for data management. Its drag-and-drop approach makes it accessible to non-programmers, and it works with big data.

Data transformation tools

As you gather data from various sources, you may end up with several different formats that need to be manipulated into one to be effectively used for algorithm training.

Most of the tools mentioned earlier offer comprehensive functionality for data preparation, including transformation. However, there are also task-specific tools:

• dbt Labs (Data Building Tool): This command-line tool, written in Python, allows you to transform data simply by writing select statements. It compiles code to SQL and runs it against your database, offering plenty of customization options.
• Hevo Data : A no-code platform that connects data sources to destinations. It offers tools for cleaning datasets and transforming them using a drag-and-drop feature or custom scripts in Python.

Data reduction and data splitting tools

Data scientists split large volumes of clean and coherent data into several datasets for effective algorithm training. Popular tools for data reduction and splitting include:

• scikit-learn : A Python library that helps with feature selection for unsupervised machine learning. It also offers algorithms and techniques for reducing data dimensionality.
• Imbalanced-learn: A Python package that provides tools to handle imbalanced datasets through over-sampling, under-sampling, and combining methods.
• Pandas: Enables simple data splitting using DataFrame methods and indexing.
• Altair RapidMiner : An automated machine-learning platform that includes tools for data preparation and reduction as part of its model-building process.

These tools all have their devoted fans and those who turn up their noses at them. Which group are you in?

By the way, if you're looking for a skilled data scientist or engineer to set up infrastructure, automate data collection, and ensure data quality, SYNDICODE offers data science services. We provide turnkey development as well as individual teams and specialists for hire.

Don’t hesitate to reach out here with your data-related quieries!