Wageningen University
Abstract
This study explores the integration of AI, particularly large language models
(LLMs) like ChatGPT, into educational settings, focusing on the implications
for teaching and learning. Through interviews with course coordinators from
data science courses at Wageningen University, this research identifies both
the benefits and challenges associated with AI in the classroom. While AI tools
can streamline tasks and enhance learning, concerns arise regarding students'
overreliance on these technologies, potentially hindering the development of
essential cognitive and problem solving skills. The study highlights the
importance of responsible AI usage, ethical considerations, and the need for
adapting assessment methods to ensure educational outcomes are met. With
careful integration, AI can be a valuable asset in education, provided it is
used to complement rather than replace fundamental learning processes.
Abstract
Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have enabled a new class of
AI agents that automate multiple stages of the data science workflow by
integrating planning, tool use, and multimodal reasoning across text, code,
tables, and visuals. This survey presents the first comprehensive,
lifecycle-aligned taxonomy of data science agents, systematically analyzing and
mapping forty-five systems onto the six stages of the end-to-end data science
process: business understanding and data acquisition, exploratory analysis and
visualization, feature engineering, model building and selection,
interpretation and explanation, and deployment and monitoring. In addition to
lifecycle coverage, we annotate each agent along five cross-cutting design
dimensions: reasoning and planning style, modality integration, tool
orchestration depth, learning and alignment methods, and trust, safety, and
governance mechanisms. Beyond classification, we provide a critical synthesis
of agent capabilities, highlight strengths and limitations at each stage, and
review emerging benchmarks and evaluation practices. Our analysis identifies
three key trends: most systems emphasize exploratory analysis, visualization,
and modeling while neglecting business understanding, deployment, and
monitoring; multimodal reasoning and tool orchestration remain unresolved
challenges; and over 90% lack explicit trust and safety mechanisms. We conclude
by outlining open challenges in alignment stability, explainability,
governance, and robust evaluation frameworks, and propose future research
directions to guide the development of robust, trustworthy, low-latency,
transparent, and broadly accessible data science agents.