If AI can analyse data, why become a data analyst?

AI can produce charts and summaries quickly, but it does not know which question matters or when data is misleading. The WEF still lists data roles among the fastest-growing jobs, while the ILO finds many related tasks exposed. Analysts who can judge and explain will be valued.

Which stream should my child take?

Science with mathematics or commerce with mathematics both work. Mathematics in Class 11 and 12 keeps the most options open.

Is data science the same as software engineering?

They overlap, but data work is more about statistics, questions and decisions, and less about building large software systems.

What can my child do at school?

Collect data on something they care about, such as cricket scores, weather or class survey results, and try to explain what it shows. That habit is the job in miniature.

Is this a good path for a child who is not into coding?

Some coding is now part of almost every data role, but it can be learnt gradually. A love of numbers and questions is the better starting signal.

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Data analyst

Turning numbers into decisions. Data roles are growing fast, and AI is automating much of the routine analysis.

Changing with AI

What the job is

Data analysts and data scientists collect, clean and study data to help organisations make decisions: which product to stock, which patients need follow-up, where fraud is happening.

O*NET's task list for data scientists includes analysing large data sets with statistical software, building and testing models, and presenting results to managers and other users.

How AI is changing it

AI tools can now write queries, produce charts and summarise data on request. Much of the routine reporting that junior analysts once did is being automated.

Asking the right question, knowing when data is misleading, explaining what a result does and does not mean, and taking care with privacy are the human parts, and they are becoming more important.

AI-resistance outlook

ChangingChanging with AI

Data roles are among the fastest-growing jobs, but a significant share of their tasks is exposed to generative AI. The job is moving from producing numbers to judging them.

What "Changing" means here: A large share of today's tasks is exposed to generative AI, so the job is being reshaped. Demand may still grow, but the skills that get hired are shifting.

Why we say this

The WEF lists Data Analysts and Scientists, and Big Data Specialists, among the 15 fastest-growing jobs to 2030. Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Figure 2.2.
The ILO's 2025 index places Mathematicians, Actuaries and Statisticians, and Database Designers and Administrators, in Gradient 3. It notes that statistical and database specialists saw increased exposure since 2023. Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (2025), Table A1 and Section 9.
The WEF reports that AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills. Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Key findings.

No one can promise how any career will look in ten or twenty years. This is our reading of the sources above, not a forecast for your child.

Skills to build in school

Mathematics and statistics, taken seriously from Class 9.
Spreadsheets first, then a language such as Python or R.
Curiosity about why something happens, not only what.
Writing and speaking clearly about numbers.
Honesty about uncertainty.

Exams and paths in India

Degrees
B.Sc. in statistics, mathematics, economics or data science, or B.Tech. Central universities admit through CUET UG; engineering colleges through JEE Main or state tests.
Official site: cuet.nta.nic.in
Indian Statistical Institute
Offers undergraduate programmes such as B.Stat and B.Math through its own admission test.
Official site: isical.ac.in
Postgraduate study
Many data scientists add a master's in statistics, data science or a related field.

Rules, dates and eligibility change every year. Always check the official site before applying.

Who tends to enjoy this work

O*NET gives data scientists the interest code IC:

Investigative: working with ideas, research and problems that need thinking through.
Conventional: organised work with data, records and clear procedures.

These are O*NET's Holland interest types for the occupation, from its Data Scientists page. DharmaCode's own quiz and report do not use this test.

Choosing a stream first? Read how to choose a stream after Class 10, or see a sample report with ten ranked careers for one child.

Ask the DharmaCode Agent

Questions parents ask about this career. These answers were written in advance by the DharmaCode team in the voice of a DharmaCode Agent. They are not generated live.

If AI can analyse data, why become a data analyst?: DharmaCode AgentAI can produce charts and summaries quickly, but it does not know which question matters or when data is misleading. The WEF still lists data roles among the fastest-growing jobs, while the ILO finds many related tasks exposed. Analysts who can judge and explain will be valued.
Which stream should my child take?: DharmaCode AgentScience with mathematics or commerce with mathematics both work. Mathematics in Class 11 and 12 keeps the most options open.
Is data science the same as software engineering?: DharmaCode AgentThey overlap, but data work is more about statistics, questions and decisions, and less about building large software systems.
What can my child do at school?: DharmaCode AgentCollect data on something they care about, such as cricket scores, weather or class survey results, and try to explain what it shows. That habit is the job in miniature.
Is this a good path for a child who is not into coding?: DharmaCode AgentSome coding is now part of almost every data role, but it can be learnt gradually. A love of numbers and questions is the better starting signal.

A lesson from the texts

"One's duty, though defective, is better than another's duty well performed. Performing the duty prescribed by nature, one does not incur sin."

Bhagavad Gita 18.47, translated by K. T. Telang (1882). Public domain.

Some children light up at a pattern in numbers. That is a nature, not a quirk. The Gita's 'duty prescribed by nature' is a reminder to build on it rather than steer them away to a more familiar path.

Software engineerAI outlook: Changing

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Sources on this page

O*NET describes jobs in the United States, and the WEF and ILO figures are global. Training and licensing in India differ, so treat these as signals, not certainties. This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor.