---
esco_uri: http://data.europa.eu/esco/skill/45f1ae17-c20d-40fc-9307-7d33b6ca9213
esco_label: "image recognition"
relation: optional
onet_soc: 15-2051.00
source: model-knowledge
confidence: high
qa_count: 0
generator: gemma3:27b (prompt-designed and spot-checked by Claude)
generated: 2026-07-10
---

# image recognition — Data Scientist

For a Data Scientist, 'image recognition' isn’t just *detecting* objects; it's translating visual data into actionable insights. Daily tasks often involve building and deploying models to classify images (is this a cat or a dog?), detect specific features within them (locate tumors in an X-ray), or perform object detection (count cars in traffic footage). This frequently means working with large, labeled datasets – cleaning, augmenting, and preparing them for training. It's less about 'does the algorithm see *something*?' and more about 'how accurately does it identify *what we need it to see*, and how can we quantify that accuracy for business impact?'.

Typical tools include Python libraries like TensorFlow/Keras or PyTorch, often leveraging pre-trained models (like ResNet, YOLO, or EfficientDet) via transfer learning. Cloud platforms (AWS Rekognition, Google Cloud Vision API, Azure Computer Vision) are also common, especially for rapid prototyping or when custom model training isn't feasible. A key part of the job is *not* just running a pre-built algorithm; it’s understanding its limitations, fine-tuning parameters, and evaluating performance using metrics like precision, recall, mAP (mean Average Precision), and IoU (Intersection over Union). 

A common pitfall is overfitting to the training data – achieving high accuracy on seen images but failing miserably on new ones. Data imbalance (e.g., far more 'normal' images than 'defective' ones) also requires careful handling through techniques like data augmentation or weighted loss functions. Another challenge is dealing with variations in lighting, angle, and occlusion. Good image recognition work for a Data Scientist demonstrates not just technical skill but also a strong understanding of the *problem domain* – knowing what constitutes a meaningful detection/classification error in that specific context.

What 'good' looks like isn’t simply high accuracy; it’s a solution tailored to the business need. This means considering factors like inference speed (critical for real-time applications), model size (important for deployment on edge devices), and explainability (understanding *why* the model made a certain prediction, especially in sensitive areas like medical diagnosis). A strong Data Scientist can articulate these trade-offs and deliver a robust, reliable image recognition system that solves a concrete problem.

## Weitere Anreicherung

Stage-2 source for future practitioner grounding: arXiv cs.LG/stat.ML (ML preprints).
