The rise of Artificial Intelligence jobs in the tech industry

With the meteoric rise of AI, it’s unsurprising that there are now numerous Artificial Intelligence jobs that have come to the fore across the tech sector.

Going back to basics, AI is a branch of computer science that focuses on the development of intelligent machines that can perform tasks which normally require human input. It involves designing computer systems or algorithms that can analyse data, learn from it, and make decisions or perform actions based on that learning.

While AI systems are designed to mimic human intelligence and perform tasks autonomously, human input remains crucial throughout the development and application of AI - hence these new roles being created. Some of the main reasons behind this include:

• Training and data quality: Human experts are required to curate and label the data, ensuring its accuracy and relevance.
• Ethical considerations: Humans can define the principles, values, and objectives that should guide AI development and use.
• Decision making and interpretability: Humans are responsible for interpreting the output of AI algorithms, considering contextual factors, and making final decisions.
• Creativity and innovation: Humans provide the originality and critical thinking needed to push the boundaries of AI.
• Continuous improvement and adaptation: Human expertise ensures that AI algorithms evolve and improve based on real-world feedback and changing requirements.
• Human-centred design: Involving humans in the design process ensures that AI systems are user-friendly, empathetic, and aligned with human goals, leading to better user experiences and acceptance.

This article explores some of those newly created roles, as well as advice for non-tech professionals who are looking to break into them.

Newly created Artificial Intelligence jobs

Prompt Engineers are relatively new roles, and require a mix of technical skills, however no coding language is required. In fact, Prompt Engineers are often hired on the back of strong language and grammar skills, data analysis and critical thinking.

Additional positions to have emerged off the back of the AI revolution include AI Researchers, Robotics Engineers, Deep Learning Engineers, and the development of AI’s capabilities has also given rise to an increase in Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers.

Advice for non-tech professionals looking to break into AI roles

Breaking into Artificial Intelligence jobs from a non-tech background might seem challenging, however, for positions like Prompt Engineers, no technical skills are actually required. 

Language capabilities, some tech literacy and ultimately an interest in Artificial Intelligence are the driving factors for successfully getting the role.

Essentially, prompt engineering is about teaching a program, or in other words, getting a robot to talk. Therefore a strong understanding of language is required.

Tesla's former Chief of AI, Andrej Karpathy, tweeted in January "The hottest new programming language is English".

It would be advisable for people looking to break into these or other AI related roles to start by learning the basics of AI, including the concepts of machine learning, deep learning and data science. This can be done through online courses, many of which are accesible at little to no cost.

Depending on how involved a person wants to be, they can look to focus on additional skills. For example, an aspiring Data Scientist should focus on learning statistical analysis and languages such as python.

In addition, networking with AI professionals, attending industry events, and participating in online competitions or building your own project will further demonstrate to potential employers your passion and interest in the field of AI.

Expect more new AI-focused roles to be created

The market for Artificial Intelligence jobs is expected to continue growing in the coming years. AI is a rapidly advancing field, and the demand for AI-related skills and expertise is growing across many industries.

The use of AI in various applications, from healthcare and finance to e-commerce and gaming is also expanding, leading to increased demand for AI professionals. The rise of AI jobs is being driven by the need for organisations to optimise their operations, automate routine tasks, and gain insights from large amounts of data.

Whilst the demand has initially been for technology jobs (with positions including AI Developers, AI Researchers, Data Scientists and many more), there is an emergence of non-technical positions as well.

Working with AI rather than being replaced by it

Whilst some people fear that AI may take over roles, prompt engineering is evidence that it has and will continue to create new ones. There will almost definitely be more Artificial Intelligence jobs we haven't considered yet, as we are still learning the capabilities that AI offers.

As AI continues to transform industries and drive innovation, the demand for these jobs is likely to continue to rise and expand well outside of technology.