Theoretical Physicist Joins Kakao: "Data Science Is Another Natural Science"

A PhD in theoretical physics, who researched topics such as the black hole information paradox, joined Kakao and gave a lecture titled "The Theoretical Physicist Who Joined Kakao" for his alma mater's physics society. He explained that mathematics in physics (such as tensors and Lagrangians), which serves as the language for describing nature, is essentially similar to how data is represented and models are built in data science. In particular, he pointed out that while approximating operators through deep learning in cases where clear mathematical modeling is difficult is groundbreaking, it has limitations in terms of computing resource consumption and low explainability. He also advised that in the era of degree inflation, the IT industry values actual skills and years of experience over Master's or PhD titles, so gaining experience in the field after graduating with a bachelor's degree is a good path rather than forcing oneself into graduate school.