Fun Facts About Data Analytics

“Data is the next oil” or “data is the new gold mine” are some of the phrases that you’ll come across when researching data, analytics, and Business Intelligence (BI). As clichéd as they sound, they speak the truth.

Now one of the most valuable assets that a business, organization, or even country can have, data is both a cause and a byproduct of the way we live. In fact, many apps and platforms don’t even charge for their services, because the data they receive in return from their users is so valuable. You know what they say — when you don’t pay for a product, you are the product. For example, social media companies aren’t really profiting off their app — they’re profiting off you and your data by leveraging it through third-party platforms and advertising initiatives.

Ultimately, data is everywhere and everything — and while our topics usually focus a lot more on the heavier side of data, this time we’re going to lighten up the mood with some fun and interesting data facts. Let’s go!

1.??We perform 63,000 search queries every second on Google alone.

Google is the world’s top search engine — so unsurprisingly, the number of queries searched on Google is 63,000 every second. This means that about 5.6 billion searches are done every day, and around 2 trillion searches in a year! With this much data in their data storage and warehouse , Google makes the most out of it, mainly for business improvement — such as, customizing the search experience, providing targeted advertising, and understanding each region’s top search queries.

2. There is an AI-written Harry Potter book out there.

Harry Potter and the Portrait of What Looked Like a Large Pile of Ash is a Harry Potter novel written by an AI-generated text prediction model. The model was trained with data from all seven novels of the Harry Potter franchise, and with the help of a predictive text program, was able to produce this “masterpiece”.

3. More data does NOT mean more insights.

The common misconception about data is that the more you have, the more insights you’ll receive. But, that is not entirely true — the majority of collected data, mainly machine data , end up as dark data (i.e., data that is left unused). Dark data leads to companies experiencing the DRIP (Data Rich, Information Poor) syndrome, whereby companies gather a lot of data but don’t have the tools in place to turn it into valuable information. Businesses should always remember that it’s not always about how much data you have, but what you do with it.

4. AI-powered bees are being developed now.

Inspired by the nature of bees, scientists at the Wyss Institute in Boston have been designing and developing RoboBees — AI-powered artificial insects that could serve a variety of duties in farming or disaster management. They can be used in crop pollination, climate monitoring*hyperlink climate change article*, environmental monitoring, and more.

5. An estimated 1.12 trillion photos were taken in 2020.

In 2020, an estimated 1.12 trillion photos were taken, and this number was expected to increase to 1.4 trillion photos in 2021 and 1.7 trillion photos in 2022 with the relaxation of the pandemic-related restrictions. Photos are a massive source of unstructured machine data that is used for analyses and insights. They are scattered around on various platforms — such as, social media platforms, cloud storage, hard drives, and more.

6. We can use AI to predict the results of the Oscars.

There is an AI-powered software, named Swarm , that can be used to predict the results of the Oscars with up to 90% accuracy. This technology is also employed by Fortune 500 companies to predict finances, improve business portfolios, and optimize market research around the world. This software retrieves relevant historical and current data, and then employs predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes based on their detected trends and patterns.

7. Sophia is the first AI robot in the world with citizenship and a passport.

Sophia — the most sophisticated human-like robot from Hanson Robotics — is a groundbreaking integration of science, engineering, and design that represents the vision of AI and robotics. “She” is also the first AI robot in the world to be granted full and legal citizenship by the Saudi Arabian government and has “her” own passport . For Sophia to hold conversations and understand people, “she” can be pre-loaded and trained with texts and use machine learning to communicate and match facial expressions.???

8. Every 39 seconds, there is a cyber-attack happening somewhere on the web.

Cyber-attacks — such as, data breaches, software hacks, malware, ransomware, and more — are happening every 39 seconds on the web. This is why data security is extremely crucial in our modern data-driven world. With solutions like data encryption and data resiliency, companies can avoid data violations, maintain customers’ trust, and effectively run a business. ?

9. Companies generate around 2,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes of data daily.

Companies generate around 2,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes of data — or, roughly 1818.99 terabytes — daily. This large number of datasets consists of various types — such as, nominal data, discrete data, and more — that are mainly generated by machines .

10. About 333.2 billion emails are sent out daily.

On average, about 333.2 billion emails are sent out daily — this includes work emails, personal emails, marketing newsletters, and more. This number is not surprising since emails have become one of the most used communication methods for business and personal interactions — such as, blasting out marketing shout-outs to customers, communicating within different departments in a company, and more. ?

These facts and statistics highlight our digital landscape’s current data trend and will progressively grow over time. Data is constantly changing, and as a result, it’s become extremely beneficial for companies to adopt a more data-literate and data-centric culture. After all, if these are the statistics today, can you imagine what our future would look like with advanced data analytics and BI tools?

To learn more about data analytics, visit us at www.cubeware.com . In addition to building end-to-end data analytics and BI solutions, Cubeware regularly curates educational articles on the most relevant components of the data analytics industry. ?