From Scientific Calculators to Generative AI: A Researcher's Experience in the Era of "Data Analysis for Everyone" #40

“Data analysis? Oh, you mean that thing where you stare at numbers until you get a stomachache...”

I used to be one of those “data slaves.”

With a background in science, I've spent decades in the field of research.
Days spent compiling experimental results, creating graphs, performing statistics, and analyzing data.
……If you heard that, you'd probably think I was a pretty cool researcher, right?

Nope.

The reality was that I was an “ancient sorcerer” who clicked away at a scientific calculator and wrestled with hand-drawn graphs on OHP sheets.
（If this description rings a bell, please quietly raise your hand.）

Buried in mountains of numbers, sometimes pulling all-nighters to prepare materials.
It was like being an RPG player endlessly grinding through a quest with no end in sight.
And all I had in my hand was a battered wooden sword.
“I want to face data more easily and more enjoyably!”

I would like to share with you the story from the first step recorded in my “adventure log” to the moment I met my strongest ally, AI, and finally became a “hero.”

Step 1: The “Magic Wand” called Excel

“Easier and faster!”
Perhaps my “data slave” cry reached the heavens, because the first magic was recorded in my adventure log。

Its name was “Excel.”

If you chant a spell (formula) into a cell, a beautiful graph appears before your eyes in an instant.
The excitement I felt then was just like learning the attack spell “Fireball” for the first time in an RPG.

“Now I'll be free from all-nighters preparing materials!”
“I can even withstand my boss's grilling of ‘Are you sure this trend line is correct?’”

...Yes, I had finally obtained a “magic wand.”

──However, that wand was not omnipotent.

As the data grew, the file would fall under the curse of “heaviness” and stop working, and a single word from my boss, “Add this metric too,” became the ultimate attack spell of “start over.” It was convenient, but it was only the difference between “walking” and “jogging.”

My adventure had only just begun.

💡 Job Change! The “Forbidden Magic Circle” called Power BI

The “magic wand” of Excel has its limits...
“I want to be stronger!”
“Faster!”
My “training” continued.

And it was that obsession that led me to the existence known as Power BI.

“What is this!? It runs smoothly no matter how much the data increases!”
“Wait, you mean the necessary numbers pop up just by hovering the cursor over them!?”
“And the zooming in and out of the graphs is so incredibly fluid!!”

It was as if my previous struggles with data were all a lie.
Integrating multiple datasets and dynamically visualizing them on a dashboard.
It was no longer just an extension of Excel, but felt like drawing a giant "magic circle" on the ground and watching the data dance upon it.

Even when stakeholders made unreasonable requests to "see it from a different angle," I could respond instantly with just a few clicks.
It was like the peace of mind that comes from obtaining a "legendary shield that deflects all attacks." I had finally completed my job change into a "data analysis wizard.
"

However... I shouldn't have let my guard down.
Deeper in the dungeon, a "monster" was waiting that would drive me to despair...

👹 The Final Boss Appears! The "Monster" Known as DAX Functions

"Alright, now I'm invincible!"

No sooner had I thought that than a "monster" of desperate strength appeared before me.

Its name was—DAX functions.

It possessed immense power, but was so idiosyncratic that it couldn't be handled easily. It was like trying to decipher spells written in ancient script.

I'd build a formula and get an error. I'd fix it and get another error.
It looked like Excel functions, but they were actually spells from another world.
And to make matters worse, there was very little information available even when I Googled it.

I felt exactly like an RPG player stuck in an infinite loop.

"How on earth am I supposed to defeat this monster...!?"

—And, between us, I gracefully ran away from this final boss battle.

I called it the "reach the goal through the back door without defeating the final boss" strategy.

I would finish all complex calculations and preprocessing in Excel, and pass only the simplest data to Power BI.
Then, with the push of a button, "Voila, it's done."

"Wait, doesn't that mean you're not really mastering it...?"
—Yes, that's exactly right (laughs).

But the work gets done, and I can handle my boss's unreasonable requests.
In short, I was a "cheat-code player who advances the story without fighting head-on."

🤖 A Fateful Encounter! The "Ultimate NPC" Known as AI

"Am I just going to keep playing through this adventure using only cheat codes...?"

Just as I was feeling like a cowardly player, a savior suddenly appeared.
Yes, the "ultimate NPC (non-player character)" named ChatGPT (Generative AI).

He transformed into the ultimate tool just by me casting a spell (prompt).

For example, the 'otherworldly incantations' unleashed by the final boss known as DAX.

Those incantations that would have left me scratching my head before, I can now get an immediate answer for just by asking, 'Tell me the DAX incantation I can use in this situation and explain it to me.'

It is like having a reliable guide whispering the perfect strategy to me while I stand frozen in the depths of a labyrinth.

Facing the final boss, I have truly started to think, 'Maybe I can actually fight this head-on?'

The 'true goal' that I could never reach with just shortcuts has finally come into view.

🚀 And so, to legend... A 'Hero' debut with Python!

Having met the ultimate NPC known as AI, I finally decided to take on the final goal of this adventure.

Its name is—Python.

Honestly, I thought programming was something that had nothing to do with me. print() to display 'Hello, World' on the screen was my limit. I was even seriously thinking,

'Instead of learning it myself, I'll just butter up someone who can do it and have them do it for me.'

It was truly a state of, 'I've obtained the legendary sword, but it's too heavy to swing properly.'

Even so, I had a reliable partner (AI) by my side.

'What incantation do I need to process this data?'
'How should I chant to make this graph move?'

If I ask that, the AI returns the necessary code and an explanation as a set.

Before I knew it, I was...

• Jupyter Notebook writing code,

• Docker quickly setting up a development environment,

• Plotly manipulating interactive graphs—

I had become able to handle such tasks all by myself with ease. (They might sound like technical terms, but don't worry, the AI will teach you.)

AI read the 'Apprentice Hero's Guidebook' aloud right next to me.
Thanks to that, I instantly evolved into a 'real hero ready for adventure'.

🌟 And now, onto a new adventure

The book of my adventure, once a 'data slave,' was rewritten in an instant by my encounter with AI.

And now, this journey of adventure is open to everyone.

It used to be only for the 'chosen few,' but with AI as the ultimate guide, anyone can become the protagonist of the RPG that is data analysis.

• Excel = Warrior (agile and versatile)

• Power BI = Mage (beautiful visualization)

• Python = Hero (can take on any challenge)

• AI = Guide (illuminates the path of adventure)

Data analysis, which used to move at a 'snail's pace,' is now at 'rocket speed.'
And anyone, including those who use cheat codes, is welcome to board that rocket.

This journey has only just begun.

【Guide to the Next Quest】

If you are interested in the 'practice' of data analysis, I have compiled specific 'spells (code)' and 'adventure tips' in this article.

• Making Generative AI a 'Thinking Partner'—How to use it to deepen your thoughts through dialogue

• Visualizing stock volume and price movements with Python

• Analyzing current and past stock holdings from trading history and comparing them with current prices

• A story about automating dividend information with Spreadsheets and Python

I hope your adventure journey is fun and proceeds smoothly!