How to Build a Career in Artificial Intelligence

The increasing and rapid pace of development in Artificial Intelligence technology has boosted innovation across multiple industries around the World. This has, in the recent years, led to a high demand by companies for skilled experts who can understand, implement and deploy A.I. systems.

There is no doubt that the enhancements in A.I. cognitive abilities and ‘machine learning’ have far exceeded the expectations; knowledge management systems—which can recognize and filter project-oriented information by analyzing all the data on the web and discovering previously unknown solutions for a business, (like for instance anticipating customer preferences)— are only the beginning. Despite the fact that there are thousands of job openings available in the A.I. sector, supply is far lower than demand due to lack of skills and qualifications.

The AI Companies

Apple, Google and IBM are only some of the top AI companies seeking to employ experts in the field, and this expertise is in high demand in almost every industry: from agriculture, healthcare, environment, government, to advertising, transportation, and education among many others. Apart from these IT sector giants, there are also a number of newly-emerged external consultancy companies—like ExpertSystem, for example— which provide artificial intelligence software solutions and consulting to companies that do not have the possibilities of actually hiring A.I. experts or composing an entire team.

So, if you have a degree in physics or computer science, there is definitely a spot available. In fact, the only real requirement is a decent background in software engineering. The most important prerequisite for candidates is that they must be problem-solving individuals who are passionate about learning new skills, and who know how to think outside of the box. This is because A.I. innovation requires constant integration of new concepts and the capacity to implement potential innovative ideas. Keeping updated on industry news and latest developments is extremely important and will help you stay on top of the most recent discoveries.

Now Is The Time

What all of this means is that now is the perfect time to get involved in the A.I. field. It is currently opening doors to a wide variety of careers, across many diverse sectors—from medical equipment analysts, database analysts and data mining experts and I.T. engineers, to software developers, computer programmers, graphic art designers, architects, algorithm and math experts, cloud technology experts and cyber-security professionals, as well as mechanical, maintenance, manufacturing, electrical and robotics engineers.

But to really understand the global impact A.I. is having on numerous areas of human activity, you need look no further than 3-D printers, self-driving cars, robotic waiters and hotel receptionists, as well as online ‘automated assistants’. Just to give further examples of its varied uses, thanks to the integration of A.I./IT into the automotive industry, there are now also self-driving tractors that can be controlled through tablets to do the work of farmers and help them in their daily tasks. Video game developers use A.I. to develop intelligent characteristics in A.I. (non-human) players, while the military uses it for training in drone flying and other simulation purposes.

 

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