towards data science
towards data science on Beyond Market Intelligence: a running collection of 16 stories we have gathered and hand-picked because they are worth your time. Every post here touches on towards data science in some way — the news, the analysis, the deep dives, and the occasional surprise find. Acme AI is the next-generation, AI-powered spreadsheet platform built to replace Excel and redefine how analysts, data scientists, and enterprise teams work with data. New stories are added to this page as we find them, so check back if you want to keep up with what is happening around towards data science, or subscribe to the RSS feed to get them as soon as they are published. Browse the collection below, or head back to the homepage to see everything Beyond Market Intelligence is covering right now.
Loop Engineering with Adaptive Parsing in Action: Parsing Flat Tables with Azure and Figures with a Vision LLM
Loop Engineering presents a progressive approach to enterprise document intelligence, demonstrating Adaptive Parsing in action. This initial installment, "Parsing Flat Tables with Azure and Figures with a Vision LLM," explores utilizing Large Language Models (LLMs) as a critical last line of defense. We detail two complete escalations: extracting data from flat tables via Azure and interpreting figures through a vision model. For those seeking to optimize agent performance, consider "How to Run Claude Code Agents for 24+ Hours" for deeper insights into long-running coding agents.
How to Run Claude Code Agents for 24+ Hours
Unlock sustained coding productivity with Claude Code Agents running continuously – even for 24+ hours. This guide explores how to leverage these powerful AI assistants to streamline your engineering workflows and tackle complex projects with unprecedented efficiency. Discover practical techniques for maintaining and optimizing long-running agents, transforming your coding process. For a foundational understanding of setup and configuration, see "A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Up Claude Code for High Performance Agentic Programming" and elevate your agentic programming skills.
Automatically Assign a Category to Uncategorized Rows in Power Query and DAX
Categorized data is foundational for effective reporting and analysis; uncategorized rows hinder grouping and aggregation. When faced with data lacking assigned categories, establishing rules for assignment becomes essential. This post explores a practical solution for automatically assigning categories to uncategorized rows, demonstrated through a facility management project using Power Query and DAX. Discover how this approach unlocks deeper insights from your data. For further exploration of related techniques, see "TabFM Studio" and its application to spreadsheet predictions.
Loop Engineering for RAG Question Parsing: The Small Loop That Runs Before Retrieval
Optimizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems hinges on precise question parsing. Loop Engineering for RAG, detailed in our latest Enterprise Document Intelligence report [Vol.1 #6quinquies], introduces a streamlined approach: a deliberately small loop focused on question refinement. This involves reading the document, identifying gaps, and re-parsing the query—a critical step before retrieval. Explore this technique to enhance accuracy and efficiency. For a foundational understanding of iterative learning processes, consider “Backpropagation Explained for Beginners (Part 1).”
Many Companies Use AI. Few Know How to Build an AI-Native Enterprise Data Platform.
Many companies are leveraging AI, yet few possess a practical architecture for an AI-native enterprise data platform. Building one demands more than isolated AI tools; it requires a cohesive system. Our latest article explores a robust architecture featuring data agents for streamlined integration, AI-powered quality assurance, and essential AI governance. Discover how to move beyond experimentation and establish a foundation for scalable, reliable AI initiatives. For related insights on structuring data for AI agents, see Pinecone’s introduction of Nexus Engine.
Loop Engineering with Adaptive PDF Parsing: Start Cheap, Pay for a Heavier Parser Only When the Page Needs It
Loop Engineering’s adaptive PDF parsing offers a transformative approach to document intelligence. Start with a cost-effective parser and only escalate to heavier processing when a page demands it—ensuring you pay only for what you need. This innovative system incorporates an escalation cascade and deterministic checks, proactively flagging parse failures *before* incurring deeper processing costs. Discover how this model delivers efficiency and predictability for enterprise document workflows, as explored in detail in our Enterprise Document Intelligence series.
Using Classical ML to Empower AI Agents
AI agents are rapidly evolving, but achieving true operational efficiency requires more than just the latest neural network architectures. A pragmatic approach involves leveraging the proven strengths of classical machine learning. This post explores the significant value of building upon existing ML foundations to empower AI agents, ensuring stability and predictable performance. We’ll examine how integrating established techniques can address key challenges in agent design.
Analog AI Is Back, But Can It Survive Its Own Noise?
The resurgence of analog AI presents a compelling solution to AI's escalating energy demands, leveraging physics rather than digital logic for computation. This exploration delves into how these chips function, revisiting a technology previously hampered by inherent noise. We examine the challenges that nearly sidelined analog computing and demonstrate the impact of simulated noise firsthand. For a broader perspective on AI deployment challenges, see "QCon AI Boston: Production AI Moves Beyond Prompts to Platforms, Harnesses, and Evals."
One RAG Pipeline, Four Very Different PDFs: Same Four Bricks, Every Answer Typed and Cited
Harnessing the power of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), our latest Enterprise Document Intelligence report, Vol. 1 #9B, demonstrates a single RAG pipeline effectively processing four diverse PDFs—a NIST standard, a report with a broken table of contents, and more—all while providing fully typed and cited answers. This approach underscores the transformative potential of AI-native document understanding. Explore how a unified architecture can bridge disparate data sources and deliver actionable insights. For deeper understanding of question parsing within RAG systems, see "Context Engineering for RAG Question Parsing."
Prepare These 5 Assets Before Your AI Agents Take On More Work
Ready to empower your AI agents to handle more work? Success hinges on thoughtful preparation. Before scaling AI adoption, prioritize defining recurring tasks, providing the right contextual data, and establishing clear benchmarks for high-quality output. Critically, determine where human judgment remains essential. These five assets are foundational. As Amazon’s AGI director recently highlighted, reliability—not just capability—is key to enterprise AI deployment; explore deeper insights on this challenge in "Amazon AGI director says AI agent reliability…”.
Why Your Betas Explode: The Hidden Geometry of Multicollinearity
Regression coefficients behaving unexpectedly? The phenomenon of “exploding” betas often stems from a less-discussed culprit: multicollinearity. This post unveils the hidden geometry behind this statistical challenge, explaining why highly correlated predictors destabilize your models. Discover how understanding the underlying geometric relationships – specifically, the angle between variables – can illuminate coefficient volatility and guide effective feature selection. Explore practical strategies to diagnose and mitigate multicollinearity, ensuring stable and reliable regression results.
Don’t Let Claude Grade Its Own Homework
Self-reviewing AI models—like asking Claude to grade its own homework—introduces inherent bias. Our latest post explores a more reliable approach: cross-provider PR review using Codex within GitHub Actions. A second opinion from a different lab consistently delivers more objective and insightful evaluations than internal assessments. This method ensures rigorous quality control and identifies potential blind spots. As Anthropic and Blackstone recently highlighted, successful AI implementation demands more than just powerful models; it requires robust validation—and that starts with impartial review.
Most RAG Hallucinations Are Retrieval Failures: How the Retrieval Brick Decides What the Model Can Invent
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) hallucinations aren't primarily model flaws; they're overwhelmingly retrieval failures. Enterprise Document Intelligence, Vol.1 #7quinquies, reveals that the retrieval component—the “brick” selecting context—is often the root cause. Simply put, garbage retrieval leads to garbage output. Addressing retrieval shortcomings is the most impactful step toward mitigating hallucinations, as it limits the model’s opportunity to invent information. As Vint Cerf explores with his work on identifying AI agents, ensuring reliable data sources is paramount.
A Gentle Introduction to Autoencoders & Latent Space
Heavy computation poses a significant challenge in modern machine learning, particularly within generative AI. To address this, autoencoders offer a powerful solution: compressing data into a lower-dimensional representation while retaining essential context. This approach unlocks efficiency and enables more manageable workflows. “A Gentle Introduction to Autoencoders & Latent Space” explores this transformative technique, providing accessible insights into its core principles. Discover how latent space can empower your data journey – a concept explored further in articles like "Superhuman’s new auto-draft feature."
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Run a Local LLM? (Euros per Million Tokens, Measured)
Running Large Language Models (LLMs) locally presents a compelling alternative to cloud-based solutions, but what's the real cost? We measured the actual GPU electricity consumption for eight different local LLMs on a single RTX 3090, revealing surprising results – the most efficient wasn't necessarily the smallest or largest. Discover how costs vary per million tokens, and gain practical insights into optimizing your local LLM deployment. For a deeper dive into the computational challenges of generative AI, explore "A Gentle Introduction to Autoencoders & Latent Space."
Pydantic + OpenAI: The Cleanest Way to Get Structured Outputs from LLMs
Stop wrestling with manual JSON parsing and embrace a more reliable approach to leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs). Pydantic, a powerful data validation library, combined with OpenAI’s models, provides the cleanest path to structured outputs. This integration empowers you to trust your model’s responses, streamlining workflows and boosting productivity. Discover how this pairing eliminates parsing headaches and unlocks the true potential of LLMs—a significant advancement for data-driven applications.