Data mining technology analyzes vast amounts of data to derive meaningful information that can make a big difference in our daily lives and society as a whole. It is expected to be a key driver in various fields in the future.
We’ve all had the experience of missing the last bus or subway and taking a taxi home late at night. In such cases, the taxi fare is expensive, but there is no other option. However, to eliminate this inconvenience, the city of Seoul, South Korea, launched a late-night bus service a long time ago to provide access to public transportation during late-night hours. This decision is considered a successful example of data-driven transportation policy that goes beyond simply providing convenience. The late-night bus routes were carefully determined based on extensive data on traffic volumes at major subway and bus stations, rather than mere guesswork. This scientific approach has been well received by the public and has helped alleviate traffic congestion.
Also, when searching for books in online shopping malls, we often come across “Customers who viewed this item also viewed” and “Personalized book recommendations”. These recommendation systems often lead us to discover and purchase unexpected books. As you can see, data mining technology is deeply embedded in our lives and is expanding its influence in more and more fields. Currently, data mining techniques are applied to public transportation, online shopping malls, internet search engines, social networking services, the financial industry, and many other fields. Data mining refers to the process of processing and processing data based on statistical theory and computer computing power to obtain meaningful conclusions. These conclusions bring about practical changes and benefits, such as analyzing individual consumption patterns or supporting corporate decision-making. So how does data mining change our lives?
Data is a product of the process of processing the world and transforming it into a form that we can see. Data can come in any form, including written text and images, as well as voice and video. For example, the large amount of textual data generated by social media can be used to analyze public sentiment on a particular topic. The term data mining comes from the combination of mining and data, meaning “to mine”. The goal of data mining is to use data to find relationships and patterns. As a branch of industrial engineering, data mining reflects the core of industrial engineering, which is to analyze something statistically and computationally to understand its characteristics.
We can get textual data from user posts on social networks and numerical data from stock price changes in financial markets. How can data from such diverse sources be processed? The answer is through a methodology called statistics and a tool called programming. There are two main tasks: removing unnecessary data and performing statistical analysis on the remaining data. This process is similar to the process of polishing a gemstone and turning it into jewelry. The results of data mining can be used in a variety of ways, including predictive analytics, decision support, and marketing strategy.
How can we use this data? Data mining not only affects our daily lives, but it also influences the transformation of entire societies and countries. Google, a leading search engine, tries to predict changes in society by using the frequency of certain search terms. For example, a spike in the frequency of search terms related to the common cold, such as cold, masks, and cold medicines, can be used to infer that a cold epidemic will occur across a large geographic area. The results of these data analytics can play an important role in shaping public health policy and enable governments and organizations to respond quickly.
Because data can exist in any form, there are no limits to what data mining can be applied to. Natural language processing techniques, which have been gaining momentum in the last decade, have great potential value. Researchers are using the massive amounts of data to develop universal translators. Researchers are still working to create a world where people can communicate with each other no matter what language they speak. If language barriers were eliminated, the world would be a much different place. Furthermore, A.I. robots that can have natural conversations using human language will be developed to provide companionship for the elderly as society ages. This is not just a fantasy, but a technology that is already being implemented in some cases. The healthcare industry, which provides customized medical services by analyzing real-time body signals, will grow in size, and data mining technology will blossom in many areas, such as criminal investigations that use various CCTV data networks to track down criminals.
In this article, we have looked at the process, applications, and future development possibilities of data mining, starting from the question of what is data. As the French philosopher Marcel Proust said, “True discovery is not to find a new land, but to see it with new eyes.” Data mining technology will allow us to see the world in a new way. In the future society, data mining will not be just a tool, but a key driver to create a new paradigm.
