Data represented in formats like text, images, or audio is known as what type of data?

Data represented in formats such as text, images, or audio is known as unstructured data. This type of data does not have a predefined data model, making it more complex to collect, process, and analyze compared to structured data, which is highly organized and easily searchable. Unstructured data can contain various forms of information that do not fit neatly into tables or databases, such as paragraphs of text, untagged images, or raw audio files.

The nature of unstructured data means that it requires specialized tools and techniques for analysis, such as natural language processing for text or image recognition algorithms for images. Its richness represents significant opportunities for insights, allowing for in-depth analysis in areas like sentiment analysis or image classification, which structured data alone cannot provide.

Understanding unstructured data is crucial in data science and AI because it accounts for a substantial majority of the data generated today, making it vital for organizations looking to leverage this information for strategic decision-making.