Title: Why Data Science Projects Fail

Speaker: Dr Evan Shellshear
Ubidy

Summary:
At times, the fields of artificial intelligence, business analytics, and data science are subject to extreme hype – including exaggerated promises of future technologies and extravagant claims of transforming the lives of consumers. These claims risk an erosion of trust in the data-driven approach to decision making and business transformation. This presentation offers a balanced perspective – acknowledging the future possibilities and tempering the hype. That many data science projects fail to achieve their stated aims – perhaps as many as 80 percent – is the basic premise of the presentation.
The presenter will share their learnings – based on decades of real-world experience at leading organisations worldwide as well as years of thorough research – on why data science projects fail and how to make them a success. There are lessons that all practitioners of business analytics and data science can learn from their experiences, and strategies that firms should adopt to maximise their return on their AI and analytics investments.

Biography:
Dr Evan Shellshear is currently the Managing Director and Group CEO of Ubidy, an innovative global recruitment marketplace leveraging AI to connect employers to specialist agencies worldwide. He has a BA and BSc from the University of Queensland, a Diploma and PhD from the Nobel Prize winning Institute of Mathematical Economics at the University of Bielefeld in Germany and over fifteen years of experience in building global AI and statistical algorithms for industries from manufacturing to retail, HR to supply chain, oil and gas to energy.

He has published or co-published four books on topics ranging from the Amazon Best Seller Innovation Tools to AI in Medicine as well as Why Data Science Projects Fail: The Harsh Realities of Analytics and AI, without the Hype. He has also built an app for Google Play, BugRope, and successfully launched it with over 150,000 downloads.

He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology teaching topics from business analytics to AI strategy.

This event is Hybrid: Seminar to start 16:00 on Zoom and in-person
Join us in-person before the seminar begins for a meet and greet with light afternoon refreshments: 15:30 – 17:00
** It is essential to register for in-person attendance at: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/5uz8

Location for in person: Melbourne Connect, Level 7, Manhari Room 7212, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton, 3053

SEMINAR: WED 12 MARCH 2025 15:30 -17:00 (AEDT, Melbourne Time)
ZOOM MEETING ID: 873 1557 5255; PASSWORD: 778635