Artificial Intelligence and the Job Market Irony

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For years, the AI job loss epidemic has been scaring most professionals who keep an eye on their futures. They have been sceptical, sardonic, genuinely frightened of losing their livelihood and in most cases, simply ignorant of the massive sweep taking over the planet. For good reason too, AI deployments are less error prone, cost less to run than staffing a project, and are incredibly fast and efficient. Truly, management by exception is the only human role here. Thus the Fear Factory churns out one more frightened skeptic every second (metaphorically speaking).

BUT WHERE’S THE PARADOX?

Cut to 2019, and the progresses in the world of AI is actually throwing up more jobs than it is eliminating. Wait, WHAT?

According to publishing powerhouse Forbes, the requirements for AI specialists in the corporate world as of 2019 run into multiples of millions, but the facts on the ground are that there are only about 300,000 Artificial Intelligence practitioners (note: not employment deployable certified professionals) against this massive demand.

The same report by Forbes also states that AI in and by itself, is set to create a staggering 58 million new jobs inside of 3 years. But is the world ready? The answer is a sad and in some cases disappointing, no.

If you include statistics, while AI will displace 75 million jobs by 2022, going by the now often quoted by World Economic Forum report, it will create 133 million more.

The difference? Pretty simple, actually, the professionals with the wherewithal to know the synergy between AI and human business processing, and leverage the efficiencies of each to enable them to reach maximum potential of productivity, and in turn, business ROI.

THE MAGICAL GROUNDS OF THIS REVOLUTION

It is also stated that most of these AI engineering jobs will be based out of emerging economies, with a strong focus on workforces that have significant skill and credibility to train the seemingly billions of machines and systems, while maintaining the dual and synergistic cost benefit of AI deployment and outsourcing. In other words, the sooner the emerging economies of the world familiarize themselves with the mechanics and dynamics of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, the better the chances of those nations landing the multitudes of projects that are at the brink of deal-signing inside of a year.

QUESTION: WHAT GETS YOU THERE?

Let’s face it. Silicon Valley has been one of the proponents and till date, the most lucrative employer region of the world. Given this fact, it’s obvious that they are currently looking for world class certified aspirants of the very highest calibre possible, with the necessary professional and skill based credentials to back them up. Why? Because AI is an extremely sensitive industry even today, given the regulatory and governance dichotomy around it, and it is likely that it will remain controversial in the years to come, in deployment in government and other sectors. What a career aspirant cannot ignore, however, is the immediate benefit that this sunshine sector is throwing up to the skilled professionals across the world, where a $300k annual median salary is considered par course, according to Glassdoor.

ANSWER: YOU

Aspirants in the AI industry have massive opportunities lying ahead of them, waiting to be taken for their own careers. It is high time to tap into this lucrative job market that offers the unbeatable advantage of stepping into a futuristic job role with a professional credential. Even today, robots need human expertise to guide them through the learning and execution process and handle process exceptions. The human element is just as important as it has been for years, even in the age of AI. Get certified and gain the business and functional skills that will get you roles as a leader or a core team member in an AI in your organization, or even as a consultant and freelancer. This exciting industry is waiting to be tapped. So step up now! Power to you!