Futurist, author, entrepreneur, and educator David Shrier talks us through the evolution of AI, the development of the EdTech industry, and the importance of data-driven innovation across all sectors in this week’s episode of Slaves to the Algo. Drawing on his first job as a builder of data systems for financial services companies, David chronicles the journey of big data, and how it went from being in the background 20 years ago to the forefront of powering organic growth for Fortune 1000 companies today. As a Professor of Practice at Imperial College Business School and the Co-Founder of Esme Learning, David then discussed challenges and opportunities in the EdTech industry, particularly when it comes to delivering a unique, valuable educational experience with high completion rates. David also touched-upon the critical issue of gender diversity and representation, highlighting statistics that show a 40-60 male: female ratio creates the most successful outcomes for businesses. The big takeaways from David’s refreshing insights are that people don’t buy technologies, they buy solutions to problems and that data literacy is the next decade's skill for survival.