While many companies are hiring data scientists and other types of analytical and artificial intelligence talent, there is little consensus within and across companies about the qualifications for such roles. The term data scientist might mean a job with a heavy emphasis on statistics, open-source coding, or working with executives to solve business problems with data and analysis. The idea of data scientist "unicorns" who possess all these skills at high levels was never very realistic. As the job has grown more popular and sought-after, an increasing number of professionals have begun to use it to describe their role. Colleges and universities have responded to the demand as well by offering hundreds of new programs on data science and analytics.

WellAI data scientists Daniel Satchkov and Sergei Polevikov will present their most recent research entitled "Reading 25 Million Studies in Seconds: Implications for Fighting COVID-19 and Managing a Portfolio" at a free webinar on August 25, 2020. The webinar will take place from 12pm to 1pm EST, and is jointly organized by the Society of Quantitative Analysts (SQA) and WellAI. Discussion will be partly based on a study "Artificial Intelligence-powered search tools and resources in the fight against COVID-19" published in the Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in June 2020, and is currently available through the PubMed database of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sergei Polevikov, CEO of WellAI and a board director at SQA, explained: "We wanted to share our unique experience as we believe our work is relevant to both medical researchers and finance professionals. WellAI data scientists had built a free COVID-19 analytical tool for medical researchers around the world in early April 2020, to help fight the pandemic. As some of us had also had previous experience as data scientists in the finance industry, we found some interesting similarities and differences in a way one applies machine learning algorithms in healthcare versus applying those in finance. What better place to share this knowledge than the SQA – one of the most recognized organization in the United States among the quantitative investment professionals?"

As financial securities become increasingly complex, demand has grown steadily for people who not only understand the complex mathematical models that price these securities, but who are able to enhance them to generate profits and reduce risk. These individuals are known as quantitative analysts, or simply "quants." Due to the challenging nature of the work – a blend of mathematics, finance and computer skills – quants are in great demand and able to command very high salaries. In this article we'll learn what they do, where they work, how much they earn, what knowledge is required and whether this may be the career for you. Quantitative analysts design and implement complex models that allow financial firms to price and trade securities.

Anesthesiologists' jobs look safer than radiologists' jobs. In H. G. Wells's classic The War of the Worlds, the narrator pauses a moment to rue the fact that he didn't react sooner to the arrival of an "intelligence greater than man's"--in his case, Martians landing on earth. Comparing himself to a comfortable dodo in its nest, he imagined those ill-fated birds also dithering as hungry sailors invaded their island: "We will peck them to death tomorrow, my dear." As intelligent technologies take over more and more of the decision-making territory once occupied by humans, are you taking any action? Are you sufficiently aware of the signs that you should?

In H. G. Wells's classic The War of the Worlds, the narrator pauses a moment to rue the fact that he didn't react sooner to the arrival of an "intelligence greater than man's"--in his case, Martians landing on earth. Comparing himself to a comfortable dodo in its nest, he imagined those ill-fated birds also dithering as hungry sailors invaded their island: "We will peck them to death tomorrow, my dear." As intelligent technologies take over more and more of the decision-making territory once occupied by humans, are you taking any action? Are you sufficiently aware of the signs that you should? To help you get the head start you may need, here are the signs that it's time to fly the nest.