Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the working world has undergone many changes lately. But the working world has been changing for quite some time. Robots and automation have been steadily replacing redundant tasks that once took a whole team of humans to complete. We are living in the future that was once envisioned by pioneering industry leaders like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford. That future is being driven by automation, and that automation is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is the future of work—If you are looking for a new career that has great job security, and is driving the world forward, then you should look into a career in AI.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The AI industry is powering the future of work by building machines that can think, understand and behave similarly to humans. The process of building human-like machines involves a great deal of programming. Typically, several types of programmers work on AI projects, including machine learning engineers, data and research scientists and Artificial Intelligence engineers.
Machine Learning Engineers
Machine Learning Engineers teach machines how to think, understand and behave like humans. This involves building systems and processes that allow machines to absorb information and process it in ways similar to humans. In this way, the machine responds to a changing environment, such as a malfunction or a pile-up in the assembly line. Due to the programming that went into it, the machine can respond by slowing down its production process to accommodate for the delay in the assembly line.
Data and Research Scientists
Data and Research Scientists program the systems that collect data on human behavior. Research Scientists decide what types of behavior need to be studied, and the Data Scientists build data-collection systems. Once the data is collected, the Data Scientist must organize it so that the Research Scientists can study it to better understand what it says about human behavior, and how it can be applied to the process of automation.
Artificial Intelligence Engineers
AI Engineers are the most prominent type of programming engineers in the Artificial Intelligence industry. They are responsible for coding the machines and systems that are being automated. To do this, AI engineers have to work closely with Machine Learning Engineers, as well as Data and Research Scientists. Once the machines are built, AI Engineers train and test-run the machines to work out any kinks before delivering them to the customer. AI Engineers program these machines using R, Python, Java and C++.
Natural Language Processing
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an interesting subfield of the Artificial Intelligence industry. NLP is responsible for building the systems and processes that collect countless amounts of data on human language that is used to train machines on how to understand, process and speak the human language. NLP programming is done through natural language toolkits, which are a suite of libraries and programs built specifically for the processes of machine learning. One of these libraries is the Gensim library, which is an open-source library for automated natural language processing. This means that developers can add to it as the NLP subfield continues to grow.
You probably use NLP every day, whether you know it or not. You use NLP every time you activate the voice automation on your smartphone, for example.
Coding Bootcamps
If you are interested in a career in AI and want to know how to get started, the first step is to learn to code. Machine learning coding bootcamps can teach you everything you need to know about the programming necessary to dive into AI development. These short, intensive programs take you from no prior coding experience to a tech industry-ready programming professional in just 2 to 3 months. Best of all, online coding bootcamps allow you to learn your new skills from the comfort of your home.
If you need help to finance your tuition, coding schools like App Academy offer income-sharing agreements. These are schemes that allow you to attend a bootcamp and pay back the tuition once you land your first job in AI.
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