NTU alumna Nithya Krishnan’s keen interest in data science and artificial intelligence was sparked by YouTube and Instagram recommendations. “I noticed how accurately they were able to predict my interests, and generate content that I would click on, explore and enjoy,” she said.

Under the Renaissance Engineering Programme Scholarship, her curriculum includes an overseas study and professional attachment, which brought her to the Imperial College of London, full of “rigorous and theoretical modules”. “I was also very lucky to get the opportunity to do a Teaching module where I would head regularly to a primary school to teach them computer science,” shared Nithya, who was also the founder of NTU’s 1st Indian Dance Club.

Having done internships at McLaren Technologies while she was in the UK, and in Shopee and GoJek locally, Nithya hopes to harness the efficacies of data science and artificial intelligence to eventually help society in the long run. “The predictive power of AI is able to bring convenience to our daily lives, from a simple predictive text feature on our phones to predicting if you have a serious illness, even before humans are able to do so."

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