Artificial Intelligence
- What is Artificial Intelligence?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of a computer or a robot controlled by a computer to do tasks that are usually done by humans because they require human intelligence and discernment.
Artificial intelligence (AI), the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience. Since the development of the digital computer in the 1940s, it has been demonstrated that computers can be programmed to carry out very complex tasks—as, for example, discovering proofs for mathematical theorems or playing chess—with great proficiency. Still, despite continuing advances in computer processing speed and memory capacity, there are as yet no programs that can match human flexibility over wider domains or in tasks requiring much everyday knowledge. On the other hand, some programs have attained the performance levels of human experts and professionals in performing certain specific tasks, so that artificial intelligence in this limited sense is found in applications as diverse as medical diagnosis, computer search engines, and voice or handwriting recognition.
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· All but the simplest human behaviour is ascribed to intelligence, while even the most complicated insect behaviour is never taken as an indication of intelligence. What is the difference? Consider the behaviour of the digger wasp, Sphex ichneumoneus. When the female wasp returns to her burrow with food, she first deposits it on the threshold, checks for intruders inside her burrow, and only then, if the coast is clear, carries her food inside. The real nature of the wasp’s instinctual behaviour is revealed if the food is moved a few inches away from the entrance to her burrow while she is inside: on emerging, she will repeat the whole procedure as often as the food is displaced. Intelligence—conspicuously absent in the case of Sphex—must include the ability to adapt to new circumstances.
- Career opportunities in Artificial Intelligence
1. Artificial Intelligence Research
Responsibilities: A computer science and artificial intelligence researcher’s responsibilities will vary greatly depending on their specialization or their particular role in the research field. Some may be in charge of advancing the data systems related to AI. Others might oversee the development of new software that can uncover new potential in the field. Others still may be responsible for overseeing the ethics and accountability that comes with the creation of such tools. No matter their specialization, however, individuals in these roles will work to uncover the possibilities of these technologies and then help implement changes in existing tools to reach that potential.
Career Outlook: As these individuals are at the crux of advancement in AI, their job outlook is very positive. The New York Times estimates that high-level AI researchers at top companies make more than $1,000,000 per year as of 2018, with lower-level employees making between $300,000 and $500,000 per year in both salary and stock. Individuals in base-level AI research roles are likely to make an average salary of $92,221 annually.
2. Software Engineering
The AI field also relies on traditional computer science roles such as software engineers to develop the programs on which artificial intelligence tools function.
Responsibilities: Software engineers are part of the overall design and development process of digital programs or systems. In the scope of AI, individuals in these roles are responsible for developing the technical functionality of the products which utilize machine learning to carry out a variety of tasks.
Career Outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a growth rate of 22 percent by 2029 for software developers, including the addition of 316,000 jobs. Software engineers also make an average salary of $110,140 per year, with potential increases for those with a specialty in AI.
3. Natural Language Processing
Many of the most popular consumer applications of AI today revolve around language. From chatbots to virtual assistants to predictive texting on smartphones, AI tools have been used to replicate human speech in a variety of formats. To do this effectively, developers call upon the knowledge of natural language processers—individuals who have both the language and technology skills needed to assist in the creation of these tools. “Natural language processing is applying machine learning to language,” Edmunds says. “It’s a really big field.”
Responsibilities: As there are many applications of natural language processing, the responsibilities of the experts in this field will vary. However, in general, individuals in these roles will use their complex understanding of both language and technology to develop systems through which computers can successfully communicate with humans.
Career Outlook: “There’s a real shortage of people in these roles [today],” Edmunds says. “There are a bunch of [products] where we’re trying to interact with a machine through language, but language is really hard.” For this reason, those with the proper skill sets can expect an above-average salary and job outlook for the foreseeable future. The average annual salary for those with natural language processing skills is $107,641 per year.
4. User Experience
User experience (UX) roles involve working with products—including those which incorporate AI—to ensure that consumers understand their function and can easily use them. Although Edmunds emphasizes that these roles do exist outside of the artificial intelligence sector, the increased use of AI in technology today has led to a growing need for UX specialists that are trained in this particular area.
Responsibilities: In general, user experience specialists are in charge of understanding how humans use equipment, and thus how computer scientists can apply that understanding to the production of more advanced software. In terms of AI, a UX specialist’s responsibilities may include understanding how humans are interacting with these tools in order to develop functionality that better fits those humans’ needs down the line.
Did You Know: One of the most prominent examples of how user experience influenced technology we know today is Apple. The invention of Mac operating software—compared to Windows—came from the need for a product that was more user-friendly and which didn’t require an advanced technical understanding to operate. Apple approached the development of the iPhone in the same way. “The iPhone was all about user experience,” Edmunds says. “That was a [user experience expert] understanding how people interact [with their phones], including what’s intuitive and what’s not. Then they designed the best possible phone to fit those needs.”
Job Outlook: The job outlook for user experience designers is quite positive. The average salary for UX designers is $76,440 per year (though those at the top of their field make over $100,000 annually). Job growth in this industry is expected to increase by 22.1 percent by 2022, effectively increasing opportunities for those with the right training and experience.
5. Data Analytics
With data at the heart of AI and machine learning functions, those who have been trained to properly manage that data have many opportunities for success in the industry. Though data science is a broad field, Edmunds emphasizes the role that data analysts play in these AI processes as one of the most significant.
Responsibilities: Data analysts need to have a solid understanding of the data itself—including the practices of managing, analyzing, and storing it—as well as the skills needed to effectively communicate findings through visualization. “It’s one thing to just have the data, but to be able to actually report on it to other people is vital,” Edmunds says.
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