The Variable | Towards Data Science https://towardsdatascience.com/category/the-variable/ Publish AI, ML & data-science insights to a global community of data professionals. Sat, 06 Dec 2025 01:41:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://towardsdatascience.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png The Variable | Towards Data Science https://towardsdatascience.com/category/the-variable/ 32 32 TDS Newsletter: How to Design Evals, Metrics, and KPIs That Work https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-how-to-design-evals-metrics-and-kpis-that-work/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 01:40:18 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607849 On the challenges of producing reliable insights and avoiding common mistakes

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]]> TDS Newsletter: November Must-Reads on GraphRAG, ML Projects, LLM-Powered Time-Series Analysis, and More https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-november-must-reads-on-graphrag-ml-projects-llm-powered-time-series-analysis-and-more/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:50:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607769 Don't miss our most-read stories of the past month

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]]> TDS Newsletter: How to Build Robust Data and AI Systems https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-how-to-build-robust-data-and-ai-systems/ Fri, 21 Nov 2025 02:15:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607715 Many practitioners like to jump headfirst into the nitty-gritty details of implementing AI-powered tools. We get it: tinkering your way into a solution can sometimes save you time, and it’s often a fun way to go about learning.  As the articles we’re highlighting this week show, however, it’s crucial to gain a high-level understanding of how […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: How Compelling Data Stories Lead to Better Business Decisions https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-how-compelling-data-stories-lead-to-better-business-decisions/ Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:39:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607653 Why data-driven stories remain an evergreen tool for practitioners

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]]> TDS Newsletter: The Theory and Practice of Using AI Effectively https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-the-theory-and-practice-of-using-ai-effectively/ Thu, 06 Nov 2025 21:39:02 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607581 When we encounter a new technology — say, LLM applications — some of us tend to jump right in, sleeves rolled up, impatient to start tinkering. Others prefer a more cautious approach: reading a few relevant research papers, or browsing through a bunch of blog posts, with the goal of understanding the context in which these tools […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: October Must-Reads on Agents, Python, Context Engineering, and More https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-october-must-reads-on-agents-python-context-engineering-and-more/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 16:57:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607543 A good month on TDS is one in which we get to share a wide range of incisive articles with our readers, covering cutting-edge tools, foundational data and ML skills, thoughtful takes on the state of AI, and career (and other) insights from our top authors. By this measure, October was one for the books. This […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: What Happens When AI Reaches Its Limits? https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-what-happens-when-ai-reaches-its-limits/ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:20:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607493 From afar, new LLMs and the applications they power seem shiny, or even magical. The unrelenting pace of product launches and media coverage adds to their aura, and generates extreme levels of FOMO among ML practitioners and business executives alike. The overall effect? The feeling that AI is inevitable, and its value unquestionable.  The articles we’ve selected […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: The Rapid Transformation of Data Science in the Age of AI https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-the-rapid-transformation-of-data-science-in-the-age-of-ai/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:35:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607430 How data science became a strikingly different discipline in the span of a couple of years (give or take)

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]]> TDS Newsletter: How to Keep LLMs Effective and Reliable Over Time https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-how-to-keep-llms-effective-and-reliable-over-time/ Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:57:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607427 Those of you who’ve worked with LLM-powered applications know this: by now, building and deploying these tools is (relatively) straightforward, but maintaining their reliability and long-term value for the organization is not.  There’s no magic solution to this challenge, but several approaches have emerged to make your life as data and ML professionals easier. Our weekly highlights […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: September Must-Reads on ML Career Roadmaps, Python Essentials, AI Agents, and More https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-september-must-reads-on-ml-career-roadmaps-python-essentials-ai-agents-and-more/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:58:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607368 Don't miss our most-read and -shared articles of the past month

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]]> TDS Newsletter: To Better Understand AI, Look Under the Hood https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-to-better-understand-ai-look-under-the-hood/ Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:19:06 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607276 AI-powered tools tend to generate extreme reactions: on one side we have the “It’s magic!” and “best thing ever!” crowd. On the other, we find the “we’re doomed!” camp. These aren’t static or monolithic groups, of course. You might even find yourself on both ends of the spectrum — in the span of a single day.  […]

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]]> TDS Newsletter: How to Make Smarter Business Decisions with AI https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-how-to-make-smarter-business-decisions-with-ai/ Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:07:53 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607192 Research agents, budget planners, and more

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]]> TDS Newsletter: What You Need to Know About LLMs for Data Science https://towardsdatascience.com/tds-newsletter-what-you-need-to-know-about-llms-for-data-science/ Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:35:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607189 How new tools are transforming data scientists' essential workflows

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]]> The Programming Skills You Need for Today’s Data Roles https://towardsdatascience.com/the-programming-skills-you-need-for-todays-data-roles/ Thu, 04 Sep 2025 10:12:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607070 How to stand out in a crowded field

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]]> August Must-Reads: LLM Costs, Research Agents, and More https://towardsdatascience.com/august-must-reads-llm-costs-research-agents-and-more/ Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:10:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607067 Our most-read and -shared stories of the past month

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]]> From LangExtract to LangGraph: LLM Optimization, Explained https://towardsdatascience.com/from-langextract-to-langgraph-llm-optimization-explained/ Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:55:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=607065 Cutting-edge workflows, new libraries, and more

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]]> What Does “Following Best Practices” Mean in the Age of AI? https://towardsdatascience.com/what-does-following-best-practices-mean-in-the-age-of-ai/ Thu, 14 Aug 2025 19:34:56 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=606866 How data and ML practitioners should navigate a rapidly changing landscape

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]]> How to Design Machine Learning Experiments — the Right Way https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-design-machine-learning-experiments-the-right-way/ Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:27:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=606826 The key to successful ML projects isn't always more resources

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]]> July Must-Reads: Scalable AI, Career Insights, and More https://towardsdatascience.com/july-must-reads-scalable-ai-career-insights-and-more/ Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:25:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=606824 Don't miss the most popular stories of the past month

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]]> LLMs Continue to Evolve. So Should Your Skill Set. https://towardsdatascience.com/llms-continue-to-evolve-so-should-your-skill-set/ Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:10:00 +0000 https://towardsdatascience.com/?p=606726 This week, we highlight three articles that focus on emerging topics and techniques around large language models.

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