Most impactful A.I. trends of 2018: the rise of ML Engineering

The field of Machine Learning (ML) has been consistently evolving since Data Science started gaining traction in 2012. However, I believe 2018 was a critical inflection point in the ML industry. After helping Insight Fellows build dozens of ML products to get roles on applied ML teams, and reading through both corporate and academic published research and, I've seen more need for engineering skills than ever before. As a field that has consistently toed the line between its origins in academic research and the need to serve customer needs, it has often been hard to reconcile engineering standards with ML models. As both research and applied teams are doubling down on their engineering and infrastructure needs, the nascent field of ML Engineering will build upon 2018's foundation and truly blossom in 2019.