The tech industry has been focusing more on artificial intelligence (AI) and the different ways this new technology can be implemented these past few years. AI has now entered more industries and is transforming them like never before. In the retail sector, for instance, AI is now enabling better design of retail space based on customer flow and other insights that were not available before.
The prominence of AI leads to higher demand for AI specialists, particularly specialists in select fields and implementations of artificial intelligence. If you are pursuing a career in AI or you want to venture deeper into this field, one of the best ways to get started is by earning a degree in – or related to – artificial intelligence.
Machine Learning Engineering
When it comes to artificial intelligence and machine learning, a degree in machine learning engineering is a perfect fit. The degree takes you through every part of machine learning and how it is implemented in different fields, including health and agriculture. Artificial intelligence in healthcare has brought great impact in coming up with new surgical robots and finding ways to diagnose patients easier and more accurately.
The main role of machine learning engineers is developing the artificial intelligence itself. In order for an AI system to be capable of performing its tasks, it needs to learn from various sources. More importantly, it needs to be able to process natural language and consume data in an effective way. The task of adding these functionalities to an AI system falls in the hands of machine learning engineers.
More programs in machine learning are available today, so you will have no trouble at all pursuing a degree in this field. Before you do, however, you also want to be familiar with the programming languages used in AI development, particularly Java, Python, and Scala.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
A master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering may seem like a broad one to pursue if you want to focus on a career in AI, but today’s programs are actually designed with specific focuses in mind. You can, for example, earn a masters in electrical and computer engineering with advanced mobility focus.
That focus in advanced mobility makes the engineering degree more valuable. This is because there are more companies and research bodies developing autonomous systems for vehicles of different types. Even non-automotive companies like Nvidia and Intel are investing in their own autonomous vehicles and advanced mobility applications of AI.
That’s not the most exciting part about this field either. When you take into account research programs that focus on drones and new types of vehicles – and the need for AI-based autonomous systems for these new vehicles – it is clear that it will be one of the fastest-growing fields in the near future.
Data Science
Next, we have a degree in data science. As mentioned before, AI relies heavily on data to learn and develop intelligence. Data scientists are the ones responsible for leveraging data to help AI and machine learning systems grow exponentially.
Feeding just any random data to an AI system is no longer enough. Advanced data filtering and processing is now required to help AI systems learn faster and more effectively. On top of that, it is up to data scientists to teach AIs how to process raw data and generate insights from various sources.
Take IBM Watson as an example. The AI-based analytics tool is capable of consuming a large amount of data and producing relevant, contextual insights from multiple inputs. Watson can do so effectively thanks to the data it acquired from IBM’s data scientists in the past.
Business Intelligence
As AI became more prominent, its use in business settings became more common too. In fact, business use cases are among the biggest contributors of AI’s rapid growth; the money from corporations who see the benefits of using AI as part of their workflows is pushing the development of artificial intelligence applications forward.
For those studying business intelligence, there are plenty of new opportunities to explore in artificial intelligence. Strong technical and analytical skills are needed to succeed in this field, but these are skills that can be mastered and sharpened as you pursue a degree in business intelligence.
Similar to data scientists, it is up to business intelligence specialists to train AIs how to mine relevant data, the sources AI systems need to tap into, how to process the acquired data, and of course how to generate valuable insights at the end of the process. Business intelligence developers will primarily work with other industries in implementing AI.
Big Data Architecture
Some universities are beginning to introduce programs in big data and data architecture, and there is a good reason for this move. The market is in need of capable data architects who can structure raw data, create an efficient data mining and storing processes, and integrate the big data architecture with AI-based systems.
On the surface, the field of big data architecture looks similar to data science, but there is a fundamental difference between the two. A program in big data architecture focuses more on the ecosystem used by AI-based systems to operate optimally rather than the actual process of mining and storing data.
This means big data architects are responsible for creating the perfect environment for AI-based systems to run optimally. In a market as competitive as today, the role also comes with the responsibility of keeping the entire ecosystem efficient, especially in terms of setup and running costs.
Getting Started
You can enter the field of artificial intelligence by pursuing a degree in any of these fields. There are other fields worth looking into as well, including AI research and robotics. Regardless of the field you want to focus on, you need to enroll on some basic courses, including those in engineering, physics, computer science and programming languages, Bayesian networking, and advanced math. These skills will be crucial in your career as an AI specialist. They are also essential to your success in acquiring a relevant degree to get your career started. Here’s the good news: there is no better time to start than today. The field of artificial intelligence will continue to grow for years to come, and starting with a career in this field puts you in the perfect spot to succeed.
