Top 5 Podcasts for Data Science, Machine Learning, Statistics and AI

Podcasts are not for everyone. For some it is preferred to stare at a screen or paper book (do people still use those?) and get your information that way. But let’s face it, podcasts are a great use of time while you’re on the move. Whether you’re driving, walking, or commuting to work, people use podcasts to block out the loud hectic world around. Not only that, but there is also some really great content out there on machine learning, statistics, data science, and AI.

The hard part is typically finding a podcast that suits your needs. Lucky for you, we have already narrowed it down to the best content. To get you started, here are our picks for the 5 best podcasts for data science, machine learning and AI – saving the best for last.

5. Data Science Ethics

While this one is not so technical, it is an important discussion topic for data scientists already in the field. The Data Science Ethics podcast is pretty self-explanatory. It explores ethical issues in different industries. Not only does it give tips on how to combat biases, but it urges the importance of data transparency and brings up topics of morality that are not often discussed on the job. Its most recent episodes have been focused on price discrimination in various industries. Also, each episode is relatively short and light, so if you’re not in the mood for something technical, but perhaps more inspiring – this is the place to go.

4. Linear Digressions

If it’s statistics talk you’re looking for, this is the place for you. While the puns are subpar, the content is rich. Since it is hosted by a data scientist and a software engineer, it can be entertaining and insightful for both people not in the field and experienced professionals. The hosts dive into topics like “The Assumptions of Ordinary Least Squares” where you’ll be forced to think about data and statistics. They help you identify places where you could run into trouble. Or, they will jump into quantile regression and its application for making predictions. It’s bound to get you in the mood to solve complex problems, and will definitely stimulate deeper statistical thought. You don’t necessarily have to be a data scientist to listen to it, but to get to most out of it you’d better have a good understanding of math and statistics. It will likely give you insights as to how the same statistical methods are used in different fields and offers a plethora of examples. Both for newbies, and for experts!

3. Data Framed by DataCamp

This podcasts structure surrounds interviews with data science influencers. So, if you’re curious about a certain person or exploring different case studies, this one’s for you. The podcast interviews players from across industries so you can really get a scope of the field. Not only that but you’ll hear about new techniques, and critical thinking methods that make a good data scientist into a great data scientist. The host does a very good job of ensuring you get a takeaway that you can apply in your job in every episode. Plus, if top experts and academics in the field are spending their time on a podcast – you know it’s gotta be good.

2. Two Minute Papers

Okay, this is actually not a podcast at all. But, considering the context of this post, we are looking for time savers that advance our data science understanding. What could be more important as a data scientist than being up to date on academic papers? This playfully nerdy YouTube channel summarizes interesting papers in two minutes along with some extra fun visuals. You can find specific topics under playlists, and choose your interests. Yay science!

1. Talking Machines

Last but definitely not least, we get to Talking Machines. As the title suggests, it is very machine learning centered. This podcast is definitely more serious and technical than the others. Unlike picks 2-5, this is not a podcast for the data science light. It includes lengthy and insightful interviews with industry leaders, as well as Q&A’s from knowledgeable listeners. Not only that, but the hosts are clearly knowledgeable themselves and present topics quite eloquently. It is highly unlikely that you will leave an episode without a new topic to research.

If anything, these podcasts can provide a community to nerd out on data science with. If you’re still not convinced that a podcast is a good use of time, here’s a podcast listening hack to save even more time. Depending on your device, you can speed up playback to 1.5 – 2x listening. Now you have no excuses! Listen up.