(Europe) Jean-Loup Loyer, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Eramet, speaks with Michael Sieczko, Business Development Director, Lingaro, about the concept of “citizen data scientist” and its viability as a profession.

From Loyer’s point of view, “citizen data scientist” is a great concept, but he also says that being a data scientist is a full-time job, so the concept is not advisable. He explains that analyzing data and putting models into production is hard work. It is complex and requires time, experience, and expertise, and cannot be managed along with a daily full-time job. Loyer however believes that business professionals can be trained enough in the field of data analytics so that they can understand how it works and eventually change careers.

While full-time dedication seems impossible at the moment, Loyer says that it might be possible with simpler coding solutions in the future. Eventually, there can be low code solutions that can be used with just simple drag-and-drop functions. A geologist, miner, or meteorologist can put models in production with just a few clicks. He however maintains that the industry is still very far from that reality.