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Sunday, October 12, 2025

How To Use Artificial Knowledge To Construct a Portfolio Challenge


How To Use Synthetic Data To Build a Portfolio Project
Picture by Writer | Canva

 

Introduction

 
Discovering real-world datasets will be difficult as a result of they’re usually non-public (protected), incomplete (lacking options), or costly (behind a paywall). Artificial datasets can clear up these issues by letting you generate the information primarily based in your undertaking wants.

Artificial knowledge is artificially generated data that mimics real-life datasets. You may management the scale, complexity, and realism of the artificial dataset to tailor it primarily based in your knowledge wants.

On this article, we’ll discover artificial knowledge era strategies. We’ll then construct a portfolio undertaking by inspecting the information, making a machine studying mannequin, and utilizing AI to develop an entire portfolio undertaking with a Streamlit app.

 

Tips on how to Generate Artificial Knowledge

 
Artificial knowledge is usually created randomly, utilizing simulations, guidelines, or AI.

 
How to Generate Synthetic Data
 

// Technique 1: Random Knowledge Era

To generate knowledge randomly, we’ll use easy features to create values with none particular guidelines.

It’s helpful for testing, however it gained’t seize sensible relationships between options. We’ll do it utilizing NumPy’s random methodology and create a Pandas DataFrame.

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
np.random.seed(42)
df_random = pd.DataFrame({
    "feature_a": np.random.randint(1, 100, 5),
    "feature_b": np.random.rand(5),
    "feature_c": np.random.selection(["X", "Y", "Z"], 5)
})
df_random.head()

 

Right here is the output.

 
How to Generate Synthetic Data
 

// Technique 2: Rule-Primarily based Knowledge Era

Rule-based knowledge era is a better and extra sensible methodology than random knowledge era. It follows a exact components or algorithm. This makes the output purposeful and constant.

In our instance, the scale of a home is instantly linked to its worth. To indicate this clearly, we are going to create a dataset with each dimension and worth. We’ll outline the connection with a components:

Value = dimension × 300 + ε (random noise)

This manner, you’ll be able to see the correlation whereas protecting the information moderately sensible.

np.random.seed(42)
n = 5
dimension = np.random.randint(500, 3500, n)
worth = dimension * 300 + np.random.randint(5000, 20000, n)

df_rule = pd.DataFrame({
    "size_sqft": dimension,
    "price_usd": worth
})
df_rule.head()

 

Right here is the output.

 
How to Generate Synthetic Data
 

// Technique 3: Simulation-Primarily based Knowledge Era

The simulation-based knowledge era methodology combines random variation with guidelines from the true world. This combine creates datasets that behave like actual ones.

What will we find out about housing?

  • Larger houses often price extra
  • Some cities price greater than others
  • A baseline worth

How will we construct the dataset?

  1. Choose a metropolis at random
  2. Draw a house dimension
  3. Set bedrooms between 1 and 5
  4. Compute the value with a transparent rule

Value rule: We begin with a base worth, add a metropolis worth bump, after which add dimension × fee.

price_usd = base_price × city_bump + sqft × fee

Right here is the code.

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
rng = np.random.default_rng(42)
CITIES = ["los_angeles", "san_francisco", "san_diego"]
# Metropolis worth bump: larger means pricier metropolis
CITY_BUMP = {"los_angeles": 1.10, "san_francisco": 1.35, "san_diego": 1.00}

def make_data(n_rows=10):
    metropolis = rng.selection(CITIES, dimension=n_rows)
    # Most houses are close to 1,500 sqft, some smaller or bigger
    sqft = rng.regular(1500, 600, n_rows).clip(350, 4500).spherical()
    beds = rng.integers(1, 6, n_rows)

    base = 220_000
    fee = 350  # {dollars} per sqft

    bump = np.array([CITY_BUMP[c] for c in metropolis])
    worth = base * bump + sqft * fee

    return pd.DataFrame({
        "metropolis": metropolis,
        "sqft": sqft.astype(int),
        "beds": beds,
        "price_usd": worth.spherical(0).astype(int),
    })

df = make_data()
df.head()

 

Right here is the output.

 
How do we build the synthetic dataset
 

// Technique 4: AI-Powered Knowledge Era

To have AI create your dataset, you want a transparent immediate. AI is highly effective, however it works greatest while you set easy, good guidelines.

Within the following immediate, we are going to embody:

  • Area: What’s the knowledge about?
  • Options: Which columns do we wish?
    • Metropolis, neighborhood, sqft, bedrooms, bogs
  • Relationships: How do the options join?
    • Value depends upon metropolis, sqft, bedrooms, and crime index
  • Format: How ought to AI return it?

Right here is the immediate.

 

Generate Python code that creates an artificial California actual property dataset.
The dataset ought to have 10,000 rows with columns: metropolis, neighborhood, latitude, longitude, sqft, bedrooms, bogs, lot_sqft, year_built, property_type, has_garage, situation, school_score, crime_index, dist_km_center, price_usd.
Cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento.
Value ought to depend upon metropolis premium, sqft, bedrooms, bogs, lot dimension, faculty rating, crime index, and distance from metropolis middle.
Embrace some random noise, lacking values, and some outliers.
Return the end result as a Pandas DataFrame and reserve it to ‘ca_housing_synth.csv’

 

Let’s use this immediate with ChatGPT.

 
How do we build the synthetic dataset
 

It returned the dataset as a CSV. Right here is the method that reveals how ChatGPT created it.

 
How do we build the synthetic dataset
 

That is essentially the most complicated dataset we’ve generated by far. Let’s see the primary few rows of this dataset.

 
How do we build the synthetic dataset

 

Constructing a Portfolio Challenge from Artificial Knowledge

 
We used 4 completely different methods to create an artificial dataset. We’ll use the AI-generated knowledge to construct a portfolio undertaking.

First, we are going to discover the information, after which construct a machine studying mannequin. Subsequent, we are going to visualize the outcomes with Streamlit by leveraging AI, and within the ultimate step, we are going to uncover which steps to comply with to deploy the mannequin to manufacturing.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data

 

// Step 1: Exploring and Understanding the Artificial Dataset

We’ll begin exploring the information by first studying it with pandas and displaying the primary few rows.

df = pd.read_csv("ca_housing_synth.csv")
df.head()

 

Right here is the output.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

The dataset consists of location (metropolis, neighborhood, latitude, longitude) and property particulars (dimension, rooms, 12 months, situation), in addition to the goal worth. Let’s verify the data within the column names, dimension, and size by utilizing the information methodology.

 

Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

We’ve got 15 columns, with some, like has_garage or dist_km_center, being fairly particular.

 

// Step 2: Mannequin Constructing

The subsequent step is to construct a machine studying mannequin that predicts house costs.

We’ll comply with these steps:

Right here is the code.

from sklearn.compose import ColumnTransformer
from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
from sklearn.impute import SimpleImputer
from sklearn.preprocessing import OneHotEncoder, StandardScaler
from sklearn.ensemble import RandomForestRegressor
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split
from sklearn.metrics import mean_absolute_error, mean_squared_error, r2_score
from sklearn.inspection import permutation_importance
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# --- Step 1: Outline columns primarily based on the generated dataset
num_cols = ["sqft", "bedrooms", "bathrooms", "lot_sqft", "year_built", 
            "school_score", "crime_index", "dist_km_center", "latitude", "longitude"]
cat_cols = ["city", "neighborhood", "property_type", "condition", "has_garage"]

# --- Step 2: Break up the information
X = df.drop(columns=["price_usd"])
y = df["price_usd"]
X_train, X_test, y_train, y_test = train_test_split(
    X, y, test_size=0.2, random_state=42
)

# --- Step 3: Preprocessing pipelines
num_pipe = Pipeline([
    ("imputer", SimpleImputer(strategy="median")),
    ("scaler", StandardScaler())
])
cat_pipe = Pipeline([
    ("imputer", SimpleImputer(strategy="most_frequent")),
    ("encoder", OneHotEncoder(handle_unknown="ignore"))
])

preprocessor = ColumnTransformer([
    ("num", num_pipe, num_cols),
    ("cat", cat_pipe, cat_cols)
])

# --- Step 4: Mannequin
mannequin = RandomForestRegressor(n_estimators=300, random_state=42, n_jobs=-1)

pipeline = Pipeline([
    ("preprocessor", preprocessor),
    ("model", model)
])

# --- Step 5: Practice
pipeline.match(X_train, y_train)

# --- Step 6: Consider
y_pred = pipeline.predict(X_test)
mae = mean_absolute_error(y_test, y_pred)
rmse = mean_squared_error(y_test, y_pred, squared=False)
r2 = r2_score(y_test, y_pred)

print(f"MAE:  {mae:,.0f}")
print(f"RMSE: {rmse:,.0f}")
print(f"R²:   {r2:.3f}")

# --- Step 7: (Non-compulsory) Permutation Significance on a subset for velocity
pi = permutation_importance(
    pipeline, X_test.iloc[:1000], y_test.iloc[:1000],
    n_repeats=3, random_state=42, scoring="r2"
)

# --- Step 8: Plot Precise vs Predicted
plt.determine(figsize=(6, 5))
plt.scatter(y_test, y_pred, alpha=0.25)
vmin, vmax = min(y_test.min(), y_pred.min()), max(y_test.max(), y_pred.max())
plt.plot([vmin, vmax], [vmin, vmax], linestyle="--", coloration="crimson")
plt.xlabel("Precise Value (USD)")
plt.ylabel("Predicted Value (USD)")
plt.title(f"Precise vs Predicted (MAE={mae:,.0f}, RMSE={rmse:,.0f}, R²={r2:.3f})")
plt.tight_layout()
plt.present()

 

Right here is the output.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

Mannequin Efficiency:

  • MAE (85,877 USD): On common, predictions are off by about $86K, which is cheap given the variability in housing costs
  • RMSE (113,512 USD): Bigger errors are penalized extra; RMSE confirms the mannequin handles appreciable deviations pretty properly
  • R² (0.853): The mannequin explains ~85% of the variance in house costs, displaying robust predictive energy for artificial knowledge

 

// Step 3: Visualize the Knowledge

On this step, we are going to present our course of, together with EDA and mannequin constructing, utilizing the Streamlit dashboard. Why are we utilizing Streamlit? You may construct a Streamlit dashboard rapidly and simply deploy it for others to view and work together with.

Utilizing Gemini CLI

To construct the Streamlit utility, we are going to use Gemini CLI.

Gemini CLI is an AI-powered open-source command-line agent. You may write code and construct functions utilizing Gemini CLI. It’s easy and free.

To put in it, use the next command in your terminal.

npm set up -g @google/gemini-cli

 

After putting in, use this code to provoke.

 

It is going to ask you to log in to your Google account, and then you definately’ll see the display screen the place you’ll construct this Streamlit app.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

Constructing a Dashboard

To construct a dashboard, we have to create a immediate that’s tailor-made to your particular knowledge and mission. Within the following immediate, we clarify every part AI must construct a Streamlit dashboard.

Construct a Streamlit app for the California Actual Property dataset by utilizing this dataset ( path-to-dataset )
Right here is the dataset data: 
• Area: California housing — Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento.
• Location: metropolis, neighborhood, lat, lon, and dist_km_center (haversine to metropolis middle).
• House options: sqft, beds, baths, lot_sqft, year_built, property_type, has_garage, situation.
• Context: school_score, crime_index.
• Goal: price_usd.
• Value logic: metropolis premium + dimension + rooms + lot dimension + faculty/crime + distance to middle + property sort + situation + noise.
• Recordsdata you've: ca_housing_synth.csv (knowledge) and real_estate_model.pkl (skilled pipeline).

The Streamlit app ought to have:
• A brief dataset overview part (form, column record, small preview).
• Sidebar inputs for each mannequin function besides the goal:
- Categorical dropdowns: metropolis, neighborhood, property_type, situation, has_garage.
- Numeric inputs/sliders: lat, lon, sqft, beds, baths, lot_sqft, year_built, school_score, crime_index.
- Auto-compute dist_km_center from the chosen metropolis utilizing the haversine components and that metropolis’s middle.
• A Predict button that:
- Builds a one-row DataFrame with the precise coaching columns (order-safe).
- Calls pipeline.predict(...) from real_estate_model.pkl.
- Shows Estimated Value (USD) with hundreds separators.
• One chart solely: What-if: sqft vs worth line chart (all different inputs mounted to the sidebar values).
- High quality of life: cache mannequin load, fundamental enter validation, clear labels/tooltips, English UI.

 

Subsequent, Gemini will ask your permission to create this file.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

Let’s approve and proceed. As soon as it has completed coding, it’ll mechanically open the streamlit dashboard.

If not, go to the working listing of the app.py file and run streamlit run app.py to start out this Streamlit app.

Right here is our Streamlit dashboard.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

When you click on on the information overview, you’ll be able to see a piece representing the information exploration.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

From the property options on the left-hand aspect, we are able to customise the property and make predictions accordingly. This a part of the dashboard represents what we did in mannequin constructing, however with a extra responsive look.

Let’s choose Richmond, San Francisco, single-family, glorious situation, 1500 sqft, and click on on the “Predict Value” button:

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

The anticipated worth is $1.24M. Additionally, you’ll be able to see the precise vs predicted worth within the second graph for the complete dataset when you scroll down.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

You may modify extra options within the left panel, just like the 12 months constructed, crime index, or the variety of bogs.

 
Building a Portfolio Project from Synthetic Data
 

// Step 4: Deploy the Mannequin

The subsequent step is importing your mannequin to manufacturing. To try this, you’ll be able to comply with these steps:

 

Last Ideas

 
On this article, we’ve found completely different strategies to create artificial datasets, corresponding to random, rule-based, simulation-based, or AI-powered. Subsequent, we’ve constructed a portfolio knowledge undertaking by ranging from knowledge exploration and constructing a machine studying mannequin.

We additionally used an open-source command-line-based AI agent (Gemini CLI) to develop a dashboard that explores the dataset and predicts home costs primarily based on chosen options, together with the variety of bedrooms, crime index, and sq. footage.

Creating your artificial knowledge enables you to keep away from privateness hurdles, steadiness your examples, and transfer quick with out expensive knowledge assortment. The draw back is that it might probably replicate your assumptions and miss real-world quirks. If you happen to’re in search of extra inspiration, take a look at this record of machine studying initiatives that you may adapt in your portfolio.

Lastly, we checked out methods to add your mannequin to manufacturing utilizing Streamlit Group Cloud. Go forward and comply with these steps to construct and showcase your portfolio undertaking immediately!
 
 

Nate Rosidi is an information scientist and in product technique. He is additionally an adjunct professor educating analytics, and is the founding father of StrataScratch, a platform serving to knowledge scientists put together for his or her interviews with actual interview questions from prime firms. Nate writes on the most recent tendencies within the profession market, provides interview recommendation, shares knowledge science initiatives, and covers every part SQL.



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