The buzz surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) often heralds it as a panacea for all modern problems. Yet, the reality is more nuanced, as the effectiveness of AI heavily relies on the quality and readiness of the data it processes.
Many financial institutions have embarked on their AI journey, but often overlook crucial preparatory steps such as ensuring data suitability, which is fundamental to the successful deployment of AI technologies.
Napier AI, an end-to-end intelligent compliance platform, recently delved into how bad data is impacting AI in AML.
Bad data, which is data unsuitable for the intended model, presents various challenges. It may be inconsistently collected, contain inaccuracies, or suffer from insufficient sample sizes which hinder the development of effective models. Moreover, irrelevant data can mislead models by suggesting non-existent correlations, while misunderstood data may introduce bias or result in incorrect models.
To mitigate these issues, it’s essential to match the data set size with the problem at hand. For instance, collecting data on the height of individuals at a basketball convention would skew towards taller measurements, providing an unrepresentative sample of the general population. This common error can lead to biased AI that doesn’t accurately reflect real-world scenarios.
Furthermore, utilizing sufficient historical data is critical for making accurate predictions. Short-term data might only reveal transient variations, whereas long-term data helps identify enduring trends and behaviors. Also, distinguishing genuine outliers from mere anomalies is crucial to avoid misinforming the model development process.
Addressing missing data is equally important. Understanding whether the absence of data points is due to collection issues or is an inherent aspect of the data helps in managing them appropriately. For example, missing daily transactions might be normal for some individuals, but missing medical readings could signify critical issues.
Synthetic data also plays a vital role by supplementing small datasets and ensuring privacy while reducing bias. However, this data must be rigorously tested to ensure it accurately reflects real-world conditions and does not foster spurious correlations.
Finally, relentless testing is paramount to guarantee that AI models are robust and reliable. This ensures they are built on quality data and are capable of generating actionable insights. By focusing on rigorous data preparation and continuous testing, financial crime compliance professionals can harness the full potential of AI and truly make data science work like magic.
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