Think, Don't Just Prompt

Over-reliance on AI is quietly eroding the critical thinking and communication skills that data analytics careers are built on. Analysts who will thrive in the age of AI will be defined not by how well they can prompt a chatbot, but by how well they can think for themselves.

Our guest shares how the problem-solving skills he built during the MSBA, transferred directly to learning a new coding language on the job. He tells us why he uses an internal AI tool daily yet reaches for it sparingly and what he sees as the one capability the programme should emphasise more: face-to-face presentation and communication in front of real people.

Host Eduardo Ariño de la Rubia is joined in conversation with Ian Brandenburg, a 2024 graduate of the CEU Master of Science in Business Analytics programme. He is currently working as a data analyst and consultant in Vienna, Austria. With a background in business administration and early management experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, he brings a practical, people-first perspective to the world of data.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

- Transitioning from business management into data analytics

- How MSBA problem-solving skills transferred to a new coding language at work

- How AI is reshaping day-to-day work for data analysts

- Knowing when not to use AI: context, high stakes, and judgment calls

- What future MSBA graduates need to succeed in the age of AI

GUEST DETAILS

Ian Brandenburg is a 2024 graduate of the CEU Master of Science in Business Analytics programme, currently working as a data analyst and consultant in Vienna, Austria. With experience spanning business administration, general restaurant management, and classical piano, Ian brings a distinctly human perspective to the field of data analytics and is particularly focused on the role of critical thinking and communication as AI reshapes the profession.

QUOTES

- "There's a reason why we learn Python or learn coding in our program. It's really the problem-solving skills that we're going for, not to memorize the syntax." - Ian Brandenburg

- "We as data analysts, we are trying to convince our stakeholders that the solution that we have in mind is the effective solution that will take us to the next level." - Ian Brandenburg

- "I'm asking myself am I going to be able to give the AI enough context to give me a solution that is well rounded and sustainable?" - Ian Brandenburg

- "Critical thinking is incredibly important. That is not a skill that should go down. In fact, as along with communication should go up with Chat GPT coming in." - Ian Brandenburg

- "Prompt engineering isn't going to mean success. And I think that that's something that's really important for people to understand about where we are with AI." - Ian Brandenburg

KEYWORDS

#CriticalThinking #AnalyticsCareers #BusinessAnalytics #DataAnalyst #AiInTheWorkplace