( CNN ) In his CNN opinion piece , `` The Big Dangers of Big Data '' , Konstantin Kakaes of New America raises some interesting points about the ways that designing certain types of Big Data projects could lead to bad societal results . Unfortunately , Mr. Kakaes ' column appears to be part of a larger narrative that is skewing the perception of the importance of advanced data analytics to economies , societies and families around the world . Big Data is not merely the accumulation of vast amounts of information , but a collection of interconnected and interrelated data points that , when analyzed carefully , helps business leaders make decisions that lead to increased profitability and job creation , assists doctors and scientists in understanding critical factors about health care , helps policymakers better protect the public from potential terror attacks , and much more . To be clear , advanced analytics techniques go beyond merely describing the data that is available . If you want to make better decisions you decide what important data you need to know , collect it in ways that operations researchers can analyze , and think : What assumptions must I make before I proceed ? Mr. Kakaes ' examples summon up the long discredited time-and-motion studies of Frederick Law Taylor , whose observations of people at work led to horrid visions of people forced to act like machines feeding an assembly line . Modern analytics are far different . For example , every year , the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences ( INFORMS ) holds an international analytics conference that includes a competition for best work in analytics , Big Data , and the applied mathematical field of operations research . If you want to examine an outstanding example of the way that Big Data saves lives , look at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control , which won the 2014 competition for their quest to eradicate polio . In 2001 , with massive amounts of data about polio cases around the world , the CDC ( working with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and consultants at Kid Risk , Inc. ) faced an important choice : Direct $ 100 million in funding dollars and settle for controlling the outbreak of polio , or attempt to completely stop all new cases of polio ? By developing sophisticated mathematical models that leveraged the best available scientific evidence and field knowledge , CDC officials became confident that it would be possible to prevent any further cases of wild polio viruses from emerging . By coincidence , the CDC accepted its award in 2014 shortly after India celebrated three years in which its population of 1.27 billion people had not experienced a single instance of polio . As we contemplate the never-ending threats of terrorism , policymakers in the United States and around the world wrestle with constant questions about the optimal resources needed to prevent attacks and keep people safe . Yale School of Management Professor Edward H. Kaplan ( and INFORMS president-elect ) explained in a recent blog post on the website of Oxford University Press how to examine data using the same staffing models used for telephone call centers . He then combined this sophisticated math modeling technique of queueing theory with a study he conducted of all jihadi terror plots detected in the United States over a 10-year period , resulting in a determination that an optimal staff level of only 2,080 counterterrorism agents are needed in the United States . ( The last publicly available FBI staffing figure available in 2004 showed that 2,398 agents were dedicated to counterterrorism at that time ) . Professor Kaplan 's recently published policy recommendations show that using advanced analytical methods is a compelling and objective way to make major public policy decisions about staffing homeland security and , by extension , the many other departments and programs that can benefit from strongly grounded decision making given limited taxpayer dollars and the goal of effective government . These are but two of the countless examples of how advanced analytics and operations research can appropriately leverage Big Data to achieve tangible results and benefits . As with any field of study or any profession , poor methodologies and wrong assumptions can skew outcomes and perceptions . That 's why it is important to continue to educate leaders in business , government and even the media about the benefits of utilizing well-designed analytics projects and the importance of promoting well-educated and trained operations research and analytics professionals in business , government and academia .
A CNN Opinion piece discussed the misuse of Big Data . The article was written by a former Google employee, and it is an interesting read if you are interested in how big data can be used to manipulate people for political purposes.