Company
Date Published
Author
Jeff Toffoli
Word count
858
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Unstructured data, which lacks a predefined organizational structure, is rapidly growing and now comprises the majority of data generated globally, with predictions that the global datasphere will reach 163 zettabytes by 2025. This type of data, originating from both human and machine sources, includes digital photos, videos, business documents, and machine-generated data like surveillance and weather data. The challenge with unstructured data lies in its irregularities and ambiguities, making it difficult for traditional software to process and analyze. However, advancements in AI and machine learning are enabling the transformation of unstructured data into structured data, providing advantages such as easier data parsing, analysis, and increased security. These technologies allow companies to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of unstructured data, enhancing business intelligence and enabling the creation of new products and services. Additionally, semi-structured data, which contains some organizational elements like metadata, offers another layer for data classification and retrieval.