Fake Data is Safe Data: 5 AI Tools For Testing and Training
AI has solved another big productive issue. One of the main concerns while working on secure developments of machine learning systems is how to guarantee the security of training and troubleshooting. The iterative process of tuning a model and trying it over and over again is a risk factor when dealing with sensitive analytics, protected behind a security perimeter. The security threat is even more ominous when dealing with remote teams and the shenanigans of the Natural Environment: stolen equipment, broken computers, and hacks. Moreover, the cost of a data breach can be really high: lawsuits, indictments, and loss of trust. If only there was a way to generate safe data that belonged to no one…
With all the discussions around how models are trained, we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the data set used in their development. The black box upon which models are trained or tested is becoming an increasingly important theme. We can expect regulations regarding this aspect to kick in soon. The internet won’t be up for grabs anymore. Furthermore, as it is really hard to create realistic datasets by hand, with sufficient volume and variety, subconscious biases tend to sneak up on the unprepared. Generative technology has come once again to change it all: it is expected that by 2030 all data used to test software or even train AI will be synthetic.
Since a big percentage of companies use real customer data in testing environments and most of them have faced at least one major data breach, here’s a few tools to avoid this problem altogether. These are the top tools to generate your own fake data and achieve a powerful testing without risks:
1. Gretel
The name reminds us of a cautionary tale: Thou won’t jeopardize your data. Gretel’s APIs automatically fine-tune custom AI models and generate synthetic data on demand. They help train generative AI models that learn statistical properties of your data, validate your models and cases with great quality and privacy scores. You can run Gretel on the cloud or directly in your environment. They also have a no-code web app that might come in handy. Riot Games, HSBC and Brown University are among their biggest clients. Gretel is currently a paid feature but it is said to be worth every penny.
2. Tonic
Not all fake data is created equally is the tagline of this San Francisco based company. Tonic mimics your production data and creates safe and de-identified data for QA, testing and development. They have native support for 10+ SQL and NoSQL databases, more than 50 data type specific generators, a neural network of generative models and event data generation. They offer solutions by case and industry and you can choose between 3 billing plans according to the size of your company.
3. Mockaroo
This tool allows you to quickly and easily download large amounts of randomly generated test data based on your own specs which can then be loaded directly into the test environment using SQL or CSV formats. The good news? There’s no programming required. One can upload its own datasets to ensure integrity across multiple fields and use scenarios to shape numeric values based on other fields. Moreover, formulas can also be used to implement simple if/else logic. Mockaroo lets you generate up to 1,000 rows of realistic test data in CSV, JSON, SQL, and Excel formats. There are also paid plans if you end up loving the tool and are in need of some more data.
4. Mostly
Mostly helps create safe, accurate, relevant, insightful synthetic data that helps teams collaborate and innovate towards a smarter and fairer future.This tool helps you discover how synthetic data generation can advance your organization’s goals and replace real data in downstream tasks. They claim they can eradicate data sharing limitations and biases and users seem to agree. Mostly is a firm believer that synthetic dara can unlock innovation in an organization.
Mostly also has a lot of free resources for anyone who also yearns a full dive in the world of synthetic data. From podcast episodes, a blog and a couple of webinars, this company is passionate about its trade. Its high brow clients include Citi, Nvidia and the City of Vienna.
5. Avo iTDM
When Sony trusts you, it means you’re doing something right. This company, founded in 2015, has grown very fast the last few years. They now offer a holistic, enterprise-grade platform that unifies test automation and test data management. Access the free 14 trial and try out what they call the gold standard for quality-first and human-centered automations. It’s simple to use and very resilient.
Have you tried any of these tools? Let us know which ones are your personal favorites.
