Artificial intelligence is one of the global trends of the current decade. It is used in all areas of human activity — information technology, marketing, sales, transport, industry, construction, etc. Therefore, it is not surprising that professions related to the use of AI are now considered the most popular and highly paid.
Do you want to become a top AI specialist? We'll tell you what this requires and where you can get the information you need.
Basic requirements for an AI professional
Let's start with personal qualities. As in other IT specialties, you will need an analytical mindset, perseverance, advanced mathematical logic and the ability to find solutions to non-standard problems. Although it is impossible to develop these qualities directly, we still recommend that you periodically devote time to solving various puzzles, including in the form of computer games.
The next requirement is to understand how modern neural networks, which are also called artificial intelligence, work. This is not about programming basics, but about how to enter queries, how to get the desired results, and how certain changes in prompts affect answers. If you're not familiar with AI yet, we recommend that you create an account right away at ChatGPT platform and practice using it. It's completely free and also very interesting.
One of the key differences between artificial intelligence and conventional programs of past generations is that it can independently assess current conditions and make decisions, rather than act according to an algorithm. Still, you'll need to know algorithms. Why? To know exactly how AI can be integrated into software platforms used by businesses. You must understand where the data will come from and how it is expected to be processed, what benefits the result will be, and how such a software package can be scaled up. Basic Algorithms and Data Processing Course you can play on the Udemy platform — it is currently available at a promotional price of $13.99 for 22 lectures.
Artificial intelligence in business often serves as a link between different company departments, teams and workflows. By implementing it, you will interact with many people who have their own goals, objectives and motivations. Therefore, basic project management and management skills will be another prerequisite. Leadership is difficult to learn; it is a long process that requires improving personal qualities. But you can start with a project management course that teaches you how to manage team resources. Lemon School offers distance learning with a teacher, which includes analysis of practical cases and analysis of approaches to project management in top IT companies in the world.
How do you take a step up the Middle step?
One of the advantages of a career in AI compared to the classical IT field is the opportunity to earn a high income without technical skills and knowledge of programming languages. However, it should be understood that under such conditions you are just a high-tech user. Yes, it doesn't hurt to be a good marketer, engineer or designer. However, in the field of artificial intelligence, you will remain a user. A little more effort will have to be made to overcome this barrier.
It will be difficult without knowledge of programming languages. If you want to quickly integrate artificial intelligence into existing workflows or even develop an individual solution from scratch, you'll have to “look under the hood” and see how a particular service works. For those who haven't started programming yet, we recommend starting with Python. It's simple and intuitive. In addition, it uses many ready-made libraries with typical code snippets, so people start studying it at the age of 7-12. Free Python course is available on the Code-Basics website. BUT specialized programs You can find out how to use this language in AI on the Coursera platform.
We know this is difficult, but in order to successfully use artificial intelligence in business, you will need mathematical analysis skills. You should know how to find relationships between indicators, determine their strength, and identify patterns. All of this is being studied in Data Analyst courses on the GoIT international platform. But free software provides only basic skills. To improve them and learn about the practical use of technologies, we recommend that you go through Microsoft Power BI course on the Udemy website. Another employment bonus will be a certificate of completion Google Data Studio courses. This platform attracts with its availability and a huge number of integrations with other programs.
Modern artificial intelligence is quite demanding on hardware resources. Complex solutions cannot be deployed on individual computers; they will be limited in performance and response speed. Therefore, the ability to work with cloud infrastructure will have to be added to the list of requirements for a Middle-level specialist. Platforms are most often used to create intelligent services Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. After taking appropriate courses, you will know about their capabilities, software limitations and tricks for implementing complex projects. The advantages of such training are that both companies offer all the necessary materials for self-study — they are available to everyone for free.
We are moving towards perfection
If you already have a little experience in optimizing business activities using artificial intelligence, we recommend that you don't rest on your laurels. As you improve your knowledge and skills, over time, you can move to the Senior level, earning an income of $2,000 to $10,000 per month, depending on your specific specialization. But first, you will have to try, spending time on additional courses and comprehensive training programs.
Python is great, but a programming language alone is not enough to build a successful AI career. Although the following statement may seem paradoxical, in order to move forward, we will have to go back to learning C++, which today serves as the basis for software infrastructure in all areas of human activity. Listings free and paid courses can be found on Habr. The advantage of such a platform is that it has an active community of experts and excellent job prospects. We also recommend studying R languages et Java (not JavaScript). But don't waste time on all programming environments without exception — keep a close eye on what tools are currently relevant in AI.
Many artificial intelligence models are based on machine learning (ML) technology. It is she who allows you to simulate thinking processes in the human brain and make optimal decisions depending on current conditions. By understanding this technology, you can develop your own AI programs. Who knows, could you give the world a platform as popular, useful, and versatile as ChatGPT? Dreaming is good, but you should start with more practical solutions. For example, with studying the top machine learning framework TensorFlow.
Another trend in the field of artificial intelligence is natural speech recognition (NLP) technology. This is what allows you to have natural, meaningful conversations with chatbots instead of exchanging lines of code that would seem like complete nonsense to any layman. If you want to develop your own AI from scratch or improve existing models, you need to know how to make the program speak like a human being. The budget solution would be learning the basics of NLP on the Coursera platform. If you are aiming for employment in top corporations like Microsoft, Google or Amazon, you should go through NLP+ Deep Learning courseprepared by Stanford University. It is quite complicated and expensive, but having a prestigious certificate will open up fundamentally new prospects for you.
Your dream career
The creation and use of artificial intelligence is one of the most popular specialties today. Create your own AI platforms, integrate ready-made solutions into existing workflows, or find new ways to use software — all this will give you a high income and help you build a reputation as an expert.
Do you have knowledge and experience in the field of AI? Are you ready to learn and constantly learn something new? We're always on the lookout for new talent to expand Start:Duck's capabilities. Contact us to find out about job prospects, requirements for potential candidates and the specifics of the agency's work.
