Model Valorization

In AI development, model work is systematically valued over data work, despite data largely determining model performance, fairness, robustness, and safety.

Novel model development drives prestige, publications, citations, jobs, and residencies. Data work is viewed as “operational,” “grunt work,” or something to move through quickly. This asymmetry isn’t about practitioner ignorance, most understand data matters. It’s about what the field’s reward systems actually incentivize.

The result: practitioners who know data quality matters still rush through data decisions, because that’s what career advancement and business timelines reward.

Related: 04-atom—data-cascades-definition