Is Artificial Intelligence a good career choice in 2021?

Nitin G
6 min readApr 9, 2021

This is the age of the “digital revolution” and at the forefront of that revolution lie Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. From the smartphones and smartwatches in your hands to Siri and Alexa, AI and ML have taken a huge role in our lives. Whether it’s an individual or a business, AI is a mainstream technology that’s here to stay.

How is AI taking over industries?

Here’s how AI is transforming the present industrial landscape:

  1. The advanced and cutting-edge approach of AI allows it to be efficient in sectors like healthcare, education, entertainment, etc. These industries demand well-organized, structured yet dynamic actions that AI technologies can deliver promptly.
  2. An iterating task that could have taken a day or so for these industries now gets over within a few minutes with the assistance of AI. Moreover, large sectors like that of healthcare, prefer using AI devices not only for the smooth delivery of the tasks but also to cut down their huge costs. Studies show that AI applications can reduce annual US healthcare costs by USD 150 billion in 2026.
  3. Even the entertainment industry is making use of AI technology to provide its viewers with breathtaking scenes and graphics. Also, the algorithm used in AI helps the industry to provide a user-friendly interface that predicts a user’s preferences based on their previous browses. This is one of the most unique qualities of AI that field the “recommendation engines” used by online platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and many others.
  4. Another major application of AI can be seen in the education field. With the aid of AI, even the physically impaired ones are being able to grasp knowledge. Also, teachers are more effectively imparting the concepts to their students by providing them with better visualizations. It is challenging for a single teacher to manage a class of thirty to forty and get everyone’s doubts cleared. But for an AI-powered class management tool, it is just a matter of a few minutes. The US education market is estimated to increase by 47.5% in 2021.
  5. Retail brands and e-commerce stores are making use of machine learning to understand user buying and browsing patterns. Data tracking can help understand how users respond to various sales and deals. Smart automation can even project existing data on future dates to recreate patterns based on machine learning.

Top job profiles in AI

AI is bringing in an upcoming revolution that has already begun to transform the world around us significantly. AI has made it possible for us to access things that once served as content for science fiction. However, we’ve only scratched the surface — there’s a lot yet to be explored.

Dan Ayoub, the General Manager of Mixed Reality Education at Microsoft righteously said,

“ AI will be a great transformer, improving the efficiency of many sectors and enabling the creation of higher-value services that can lead to overall economic growth. “

There are numerous applications of AI and so are the career opportunities in this field. Companies are providing great offers to passionate enthusiasts. If we take into consideration the prediction made by the World Economic Forum, AI is going to provide a net increase of 5.8 million jobs globally. The job opportunities in this field have increased exponentially over the years, and this graph will only scale up.

Let’s take a deep insight into some of the career opportunities that AI promises to offer:

  1. Data Scientist

A data scientist is responsible for collecting data, analyzing it, and then estimating the required information for the big industries. This task requires strong foundations in maths, statistics, machine learning, and AI. Along with the concepts of the subjects, it requires statistical as well as logical thinking skills.

2. Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence are two things that are very much interlinked. In fact, a machine learning engineer is the one who works upon the AI projects by building machine learning platforms for them. This job demands great command over different programming languages as well as the ability to conduct applied research. The knowledge of software development tools like Eclipse would add up to the chances of being recruited.

For this job, the companies look for someone with good computer programming skills and analytical skills or someone having a master’s degree in computer science or maths.

3. Business Intelligence Developer

Another fascinating career option that AI offers is that of a Business Intelligence Developer. This job demands analytical plus technical skills. The rudimentary role of a Business Intelligence Developer is to structure big data and keep them in data platforms using cloud computing. A candidate with a bachelor’s degree in engineering is ideal for this job profile.

4. AI Engineer

AI engineers are the ones who handle the entire Artificial Intelligence projects. They have to understand the objectives and then analyze the various AI platforms that can be developed to meet those objectives. They work upon the various sets of AI tools and frameworks. This job requires immense knowledge in the subject of artificial intelligence.

5. Big Data Engineer

The role of a Big Data Engineer is to build and manage a big data environment using Spark and Hadoop systems. The developed big data interface would allow several business systems to connect efficiently. Also, they have to draw out the outcomes from the data.

This field requires analytical thinking and a good understanding of high-level programming languages like C++, Python, Java, etc. And a degree in computer science or maths would add up to the chances of getting recruited for the post. The PG Diploma in Machine Learning & AI from upGrad can be a good starting block for pursuing this career.

6. Research Scientist

As the name suggests, the research scientists are mainly involved in carrying out extensive application-based research on machine learning. Anyone applying for this role must possess an advanced master’s degree in computer science or mathematics along with the knowledge of statistics and deep machine learning. This field is in high demand and the opportunities are constantly increasing.

So, it must be clear by now that there are ample opportunities in the field of Artificial Intelligence and moreover, these opportunities are exploding with each passing day. Companies are constantly hiring people with the required degrees, skills, and passion to explore the world of AI. In fact, there are many companies that are not even asking for degrees. They are just looking for someone with the right attitude and skills. And, you can now develop these skills all by yourself through various resources available on the internet these days. One such course available is Master of Science in Machine Learning and AI by upGrad.This course can help you develop a deep understanding of Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning.

The Future of Jobs in AI

Like we said earlier, employment prospects in AI are all set to increase over time. As new explorations emerge in this field, new job role will emerge requiring advanced skill sets and qualifications. Thus, it is crucial to continually upskill and stay updated about the latest advancements in the field. Everyone involved in this field is contributing immensely to further enrich it by materializing concepts into reality. The scope of AI is huge and the opportunities for exploration are endless.

The best part about bagging an AI job role is that there’s immense scope to learn, earn, and explore. However, you must remember that the roles are extremely challenging and demanding. So, an AI career is the perfect fit for you if you are ambitious and keen on learning new things.

You have to always keep pushing your limits and think from a futuristic perspective to cater to the needs of the masses. Your developments can help to reshape the world for the better. Thus, making a career in Artificial Intelligence is not just about securing your bank balance but it’s an entire learning process that is going to be with you for a lifetime.

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