AI Jobs: Revolution, Evolution or Something Else?

April 25, 2024

When it comes to AI, perhaps no subject invites more discussion than its impact on jobs. Artificial intelligence is likely to have a significant impact on the economy. It may replace some jobs. It will also create new opportunities.

“It will create more jobs that require updated skills and training required to run new systems and processes,” said Ayesha Iqbal, IEEE Senior Member.

This evolution will necessitate a shift in the workforce, offering advantages to workers that acquire new skills. It may also create jobs that never existed before. And many of these jobs, experts say, won’t require skills to modify and update AI models, but to work with them as assistants, scrutinizing and evaluating their outputs.

What Skills Will Stay in Demand?

Artificial intelligence models rely on complex mathematics. Experts in data science and statistics have been hot commodities on the job market.

The fundamental concepts of probability that form the foundation of machine learning and data science are likely to remain in demand for a considerable period. This is particularly true when combined with the abilities and perseverance needed to gather data from websites and other sources, along with skills in creating visual representations, according to a recent article in ComputingEdge, a publication from the IEEE Computer Society.

“Several long-standing job roles are set to gain increased importance as AI becomes more integral to business processes and strategies,” said IEEE Member Gabrielle Silva.

“These roles include data analysts and data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, project managers for AI, human resource specialists for AI roles and IT support specialists,” Silva said. “These roles highlight the evolving needs of companies as they integrate AI into their operations.”

Jobs in AI That Have Never Existed Before

Working with AI presents new challenges for many organizations as they seek to manage ethical, legal and technical concerns. New opportunities will likely result.

Natural language processing capabilities allow users to interact with AI systems with their voice rather than typing on a keyboard. That could open up opportunities for the design of user interfaces with AI systems.
When AI is trained on data sets that are not representative of the larger population, the likelihood of bias increases. Organizations will need experts to ensure that the data sets they use to build AI models match the real world. They’ll also need to update them.
Companies seeking to leverage AI based on the data generated by software and IoT systems may encounter a unique problem. Each of these systems may collect data in a slightly different way. To get the most out of their data, companies will likely need curators to manage data.
As AI frees up time for existing workers, and automates some of their daily tasks, some organizations may need human resources specialists and productivity consultants to advise them on new workflows.

“Preparing for jobs with an AI focus requires a commitment to ongoing learning and skill development,” said IEEE Senior Member Santhosh Sivasubramani. “Students and workers can equip themselves by honing skills in areas such as data analysis, programming and critical thinking. Embracing interdisciplinary collaboration is also essential for success in the evolving digital landscape.”

Learn More: Prompt engineering has been touted as a new career opportunity that can help users get more out of generative AI. A new article in IEEE Spectrum questions whether that position is a viable strategy.