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As you’re probably well aware (unless you’ve been living under a rock!), the future lies with artificial intelligence–and we don’t just mean in tech. In fact, all sectors are realizing the power of AI and are set to benefit from what AI brings to the table. But even if artificial intelligence is known for its robot-like capabilities of doing things faster than humans or simply things that humans cannot do, the proper application of AI is a lot more complicated than just deciding to use it in your project.
In fact, even the most basic uses of artificial intelligence technology require a skilled professional behind it, making sure it’s doing its job correctly, fixing any issues that may arise, and adapting the tool to the exact needs of the moment. This means exactly what you think it does–just as artificial intelligence is gaining traction, so are artificial intelligence professionals who are capable of making these tools work for a company.
We know you’re eager to take advantage of everything the AI revolution offers and that’s why we’ve written this article: we want to cover the emerging technologies and skills in artificial intelligence across the board and explain how it’s an incredible opportunity for you.
But before we get right to that, let’s discuss why getting into artificial intelligence is such a good choice and what you can expect if you make the decision to pivot in the field now.
Why Choose Artificial Intelligence?
If you’re reading this article, you probably already know that there’s an incredible world of possibilities within the field of artificial intelligence and that hiring managers will be on the lookout for professionals who are knowledgeable about AI and all it can do in your field. But in addition to this, we recommend prioritizing artificial intelligence because:
Your career options will multiply: we’re just at the beginning of what AI can do and there’s quite the future ahead. This means that as you progress throughout your career, the time you took now to dedicate yourself to artificial intelligence will benefit you significantly; you’ll be able to keep up with the newest trends and tools with the strong foundation you’ve given yourself now.
You can increase your efficiency and productivity: you’ve heard that AI tools are helpful in increasing your efficiency and productivity, but do you know how? Well, these tools assist with error reduction while improving accuracy and precision meaning you’re doing the job right the first time, eliminating the need to repeat tasks or solve errors later on. With this time gained, you’ll be able to advance your projects further.
It’s always available: depending on your field, you may struggle with the availability (or lack thereof) of humans to complete tasks, taking into account that human productivity fluctuates during the day and humans need to sleep and eat. AI tools, on the other hand, are consistently available and don’t need breaks or vacation days; with AI systems constantly on the job, you will see your overall performance increase drastically.
You can leave boring tasks behind: data entry, payroll, timesheets…we know we’re almost putting you to sleep. These tedious, yet necessary, aspects of work take up tons of time and don’t require a specifically high level of skill, but must be done to ensure the business flows smoothly. With the help of AI, however, you can cross these boring tasks off your to-do list and focus on tasks that are truly stimulating and interesting, confident that everything is handled by AI tools.
You’ll see higher salaries: we left the best for last–as the need for skilled AI professionals continues to soar, you’ll see that companies are willing to offer proper compensation for what they need. In addition to seeing large numbers, you’ll also become a sought-after professional who can pick the right role for themselves as your skills will be highly demanded.
Skills & Technologies in Artificial Intelligence in 2024
2023 witnessed a huge step in artificial intelligence: no longer were AI tools reserved for large tech companies with the computer power or money to use them; AI tools were brought to the hands of everyday people, completely transforming both their potential and their overall accessibility. Now that AI skills are popping up in practically every field, the need for skilled AI professionals has never been more pronounced and in 2024, we can expect to see even more demand in the following areas.
Generative AI
We’re sure you remember the boom as the world discovered ChatGPT in late 2022 and people who had never before worked with AI were suddenly creating jokes, writing texts, and generating stories with the help of the tool. Well, the technology behind ChatGPT is called generative AI and it’s definitely a trend that will continue to expand in coming years.
Generative AI takes various forms, such as creating speech, images, or text, but this move away from predictive AI (using past data to predict the future) to generative AI (creating completely new and original content) was a huge step forward.
In the future, we expect to see even more demand for Generative AI specialists who know how to use these tools to churn out their desired results, improving both productivity and content value.
User-friendly AI
Also referred to as AI democratization, the rise of user-friendly AI reinforces the idea that one day artificial intelligence will be a normal thing that everyone can use and many companies are choosing to invest heavily in user-friendly AI systems that aren’t complicated or tech-heavy and instead bring the power of AI to your average person.
In addition to being easy to use and understand, AI democratization also refers to these tools being financially accessible and not requiring a significant payment or investment to use them–which would create another barrier itself.
Increased personalization
Across all fields, we’ve learned that users respond positively to personalization and feeling special; they don’t want to simply be a customer and instead want to feel like their customer experience was designed for their benefit–not for more sales. However, companies face the challenge of personalizing experiences for a large number of users and this is where AI comes into play.
Recommendation systems are backed by AI tools that analyze your user data, taking into account what you’ve viewed and searched before to give you a highly personalized user experience. This not only makes the user feel special, but suggests products or services that they’d statistically have an interest in.
AI ethics
Possibly one of the most important areas to keep an eye on as artificial intelligence gains popularity is ethics: who is responsible if something goes wrong with an AI system? And how can we guarantee that AI systems are bias-free, making decisions that are fair for all?
The issue of ethics in AI has been gaining traction in recent months and as AI systems become more widespread, we will only see more and more discussions about the ethical use of AI systems.
As you can see, the reach of AI is quite widespread and if you’re ready to harness the potential of artificial intelligence to advance your career, we have good news: AI School by Ironhack is the only school out there dedicated solely to AI skills and ensuring you maintain your role as a top professional in your field.
We’ve launched our first free courses and they’re waiting for you: check them out and find the one that best fits your needs.
We’ll see you in class!
