It's been two years since Mckinsey invented the term analytics translator, called it the'new must-have role' and predicted we'd need around 5 million of them. For the past ten years, we've struggled with the ambiguous title'data scientist', then'citizen data scientist'. Although I've seen many'data scientists' change their Linkedin titles to'analytics translator', the problem remains that no one knows what'analytics translator' really means. Mckinsey seems to have slipped this term into a Harvard Business Review article, and it has somehow taken root. What's more, people seem truly excited by the term.

It's been two years since Mckinsey invented the term analytics translator, called it the'new must-have role' and predicted we'd need around 5 million of them. For the past ten years, we've struggled with the ambiguous title'data scientist', then'citizen data scientist'. Although I've seen many'data scientists' change their Linkedin titles to'analytics translator', the problem remains that no one knows what'analytics translator' really means. Mckinsey seems to have slipped this term into a Harvard Business Review article, and it has somehow taken root. What's more, people seem truly excited by the term.

I am an AI Engineer. Now that I've said it though, what exactly does that mean? Well, a few months ago I myself didn't know what it meant to be an AI engineer. Candidly, I wasn't really clear on what the role was or the problem it was solving. For years we'd gone out on meetings and talked with the typical "target client" for data science about their projects and the impact of infrastructure on their delivery.

The exciting promise of personalization may not be here yet (at least not at scale), but it's not far off. Advances in technology, data, and analytics will soon allow marketers to create much more personal and "human" experiences across moments, channels, and buying stages. Physical spaces will be reconceived, and customer journeys will be supported far beyond a brand's front door. While these opportunities are exciting, most marketers feel underequipped to deliver. A recent McKinsey survey of senior marketing leaders finds that only 15 percent of CMOs believe their company is on the right track with personalization.