From Patterns to Discoveries

Data mining started off by finding clearly defined patterns in large sets of relatively homogeneous data. Over the years, increasingly complex data sources were tackled. As a result, newly developed methods grew in complexity, but the basic assumption that the type of pattern sought for was known beforehand remained a constant. I argue that we will ultimately require new systems which enable users to gain new, often surprising insights before they can even determine how to fine-tune and/or validate the patterns themselves