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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the fastest growing and most far-reaching tech trend the world has ever seen. The impact of AI is probably as big as the impact of the internet. More than 100 million people already use the AI platform Chat GPT within a year of its release.
Because it’s widespread use, it’s pretty much guaranteed that AI will be part of your future career path in tech. AI opens doors to new careers and it can be used to contribute towards significant changes and improvements in our lives.
careers such as AI Data Analyst, Machine Learning Engineer
careers such as a Product Manager or Sales Executive in AI companies
What is AI and why is it so significant?
AI has been expected to change the world, especially in the workplace for a long time. Google for example, has been investing in AI for more than 15 years. But recently there have been advances in Generative or ‘Gen AI’.
Gen AI uses learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on. Chat GPT, Dalle E and Bard from Google are examples of Gen AI.
Gen AI has captured imagination because of the range of tasks that can be completed with it, and the simplicity of the interface - chat bots. Chatbots are computer programs designed to have conversations with people. It’s like texting with a friend - but who’s actually a robot! Being able to generate content from simple text has made AI accessible and useful to almost anyone.
Another type of AI is Predictive AI. Predictive AI analyzes data and patterns to make forecasts about future events or trends. This can be incredibly useful to organizations that want to find ways of improving their business - like a retailer who wants to understand what people are likely to buy, or a scientist who can use the data to predict trends in climate change.
Try It Out - Gen AI Sandbox
Here are ways you can try gen AI out to see what its potential is.
Navigate to https://chat.openai.com/
Copy in the text and hit enter.
Find a document that you’ve been working on - maybe something you have written for a class or an article you ecently read. Then type in ‘I’m going to copy some text. I’d like you to summarize it in 5 bullet points’.
How did it do? How accurate was it?
Navigate to https://www.bing.com/create/
Type in a prompt for an image you’d like to see. How about ‘create a digital art picture of a big dog walking on a beach ball wearing a party hat and looking happy’
How did it do? Was it the image you imagined, or what ways was it different?
Navigate to https://soundraw.io/
Use the free version to create a new track following the genre and mood you like
How did it do? Was it the music you imagined, or did it sound different?
Dive Deeper into Gen AI - What it means for your career
Gen AI has accelerated the speed at which AI is changing the workplace. For one thing, it will take much less time to do some tasks. The consultancy McKinsey predicts that by 2030 because of Gen AI, 30% of all current hours worked will be automated. In some roles like office support, AI can do the work in 40% less time.
But while AI is changing the way we work, Generative AI is also opening up a new frontier of career opportunities. Because it can create new content - text, images, music - Generative AI can add to what humans are capable of doing. It’s like having a creative partner that's powered by machine intelligence.
AI is not only about easily crunching numbers or recognizing patterns, but it can also forge new ideas, even generating art or writing stories. This aspect of AI is creating roles that didn't exist before.
Generative models like Dall E can create realistic images of objects, scenes, and even people.
Models like Bard or Chat GPT can generate coherent and relevant text for many different applications.
Generative AI can compose new music pieces based on existing musical patterns and styles.
There are models that can generate videos that simulate real-world scenes and events.
Generative models can suggest new molecular structures for potential drugs
The excitement around working with Generative AI extends beyond just the cool things it can do. It's about being on the cutting edge of technology, where the work you do can redefine industries and change the way people interact with the digital world.
So what does all this mean for how you should plan your future career?
The crossover between tech and other fields like marketing, entertainment, or education is broadening the scope of what a career in AI could look like. There are opportunities for digitally-savvy people to work alongside artists, educators, or entrepreneurs, breaking the traditional silos that separated these professions.
The rapid advancements mean that there's always something new to learn, a better model to build, or a more impactful application to develop. It's a field where curiosity, creativity, and technical skill are highly valued, offering a fulfilling and dynamic career path for those ready to dive in.
Plan Your Path to a Career in AI
There are three main considerations as you plan your path into a career using AI:
As AI becomes more widespread in the workplace, having knowledge of how to use AI will become a key skill set for almost any office-based job. For example, AI will be integrated into the work that Hiring Managers do - generating a job description for a new role. Similarly, the Marketing team will use AI to create new graphics or branding. In customer service, some tasks are already being taken care of by bots, being supervised by humans. In ecommerce, AI can create new website pages, create and label images
AI companies will grow and hire many more people in many roles. For example, as AI Product Managers or AI Sales Associates. These roles are not about using AI as much as doing a job in an AI company. To be prepared for these roles, you should have an understanding and passion for AI.
In the world of coding, around 30% of all code being written in 2023 is being completed with the help of AI. You can be at the center of an organization's AI efforts by using data to create AI programs. Growing career paths include Data Analytics and Machine Learning Engineering.
Are you curious to learn more? Click here for some Emerging AI Careers.