Chapter 1.
2 AI Project Cycle
AI Project Cycle
Definition
• AI project cycle is the cyclical process followed to complete an AI project.
• AI project cycle takes us through different steps involved in a project.
• AI project cycle helps us:
o to create better AI projects easily
o to create AI projects faster
o to understand the process
Stages of AI Project Cycle
• Problem Scoping
• Data Acquisition
• Data Exploration
• Modelling
• Evaluation
• Deployment
Problem scoping
• While finalising the aim of this system, you scope the problem which you wish to solve with the help
of your project. This is Problem Scoping.
Data Acquisition
• Process of collecting data
• Data should be accurate and reliable as it ensures the efficiency of the system. This is known as Data
Acquisition.
Data Exploration
• After acquiring the required data, we realise that it is not uniform. Some images are small in size
while others are big. Some images and other data are missing while you have multiple copies of
others. So, we clean the data, try to make it uniform and fill in the missing data to make it more
understandable.
• By exploring the data, researchers can identify patterns and trends
• At this stage, we try to interpret some useful information out of the acquired data. For this, we
explore the data and try to put it uniformly for a better understanding. This is known as Data
Exploration
Modelling
• To implement our idea, go through different AI enabled algorithms and select the one which match
our requirement. After choosing the model, we implement it. This is known as the Modelling stage.
Evaluation
• As we move towards deploying your model in the real-world, we test it in as many ways as possible.
• The stage of testing the models is known as Evaluation.
• In this stage, we evaluate each and every model tried and choose the model which gives the most
efficient and reliable results.
Deployment
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• Last stage where we deploy our solution based on the model we have selected is known as
deployment
AI project cycle mapping
• Mapping the individual steps in an AI project to the steps in the AI project cycle.
Need for AI Project Cycle
• Efficiency
o Create better AI solution easily
o We can builder AI solution faster and with less effort
• Modularity
o Breaking process into many smaller parts
o If our AI solution does not work, we don’t have to check and change everything
STAGE 1: PROBLEM SCOPING
4Ws Problem Canvas
• 4Ws problem Canvas helps in identifying the key elements related to the problem
• 4Ws – Who, What, Where, Why
• Who
o The “Who” block helps in analysing the people getting affected directly or indirectly due to
it.
o We find out who the ‘Stakeholders’ to this problem are and what you know about them.
o Stakeholders are the people who face this problem and would be benefited with the solution.
• What
o At this stage, we need to determine the nature of the problem.
o What is the problem and how do you know that it is a problem?
o Under this block, we also gather evidence to prove that the problem we have selected actually
exists.
o Examples : Newspaper articles, Media, announcements, etc.
• Where
o This block will help us look into the situation in which the problem arises, the context of it,
and the locations where it is prominent.
• Why
o The above 3 Ws are the base of Why we want to solve
o We have to think about the benefits which the stakeholders would get from the solution and
how would it benefit them as well as the society.
Problem Statement Template
• Helps to summarise all key points into one template
• If there is a need to look back at the basis of the problem, we can look at this template and
understand the key elements
Problem Statement Template – 4W Canvas
Our [Stakeholders] Who
Has a problem that [issue, problem, need] What
When/ While [context/ situation] Where
An ideal solution [benefit of solution for Why
would them]
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