Augmenting Intelligence: The Convergence of ML/LLMs and Statistics

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ABSTRACTThe rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), neural networks (NN) and language models (LM) research, coupled with the widespread availability of large language models as a service (LLMaaS), have begun to influence most domains, particularly the field of statistics, in unprecedented ways that are difficult to forecast. The awarding of two Nobel Prizes in 2024 for computational work in AI—to Hopfield and Hinton for their foundational discoveries and inventions in machine learning with artificial neural networks and to Baker, Hassabis and Jumper for developing an AI model to solve the longstanding problem of predicting proteins' complex structures—is a testament to the significant impact of AI in these fields. Two key contributors for the current revolution are statistics and data science. The merger of data science with AI research led to the creation of tools like LLMs, profound advancements in AI as a tool and speculations of humanity being close to creating AGI. These transformative technologies have opened up a vast array of opportunities, but they have also presented new challenges that necessitate careful consideration. Here, we discuss what is needed to successfully navigate these stormy times in the current sea of information surrounding us.