Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content and is revolutionizing various industries. From writing stories and content for social media, creating realistic images and illustrations, composing new music, and designing products, it can even code.
According to a report by the World Economic Forum, automation could eliminate 75 million jobs by 2025, but create 133 million new jobs, many of which will require AI and machine learning skills. The same report states that AI and machine learning will create 97 million new jobs by 2025, most of them in the tech industry.
Generative AI is a rapidly growing field with a wide range of career opportunities across a variety of industries, including tech, healthcare, entertainment, and finance. Roles such as AI research scientist, machine learning engineer, and creative AI developer are in high demand. Generative AI is not just for those with a technical background. It has applications in creative fields such as art, music, and writing, making it an exciting field for arts majors to explore.
GenAI excels at crafting product descriptions, social media content, and personalized marketing for diverse audiences. Generative AI helps writers overcome barriers, suggests creative text structures, and translates languages. With regard to visuals, AI can create vibrant images from scratch based on descriptions or creatively modify existing images. Examples include DALL-E 2, Leonardo, and Midjourney. In music, generative AI such as Mubert, Soundful, and Aiwa can create original pieces in various genres, inspire composers, and enhance media soundtracks.
Vocalid and Synthesizer-V can customize digital voices for those who rely on synthetic speech. For developers, Microsoft Copilot AI can automate repetitive coding tasks and even write entire programs. Synthesia, Hazen, InVideo are generative AIs for creating realistic videos with digital avatars and voices, valuable for marketing and instructional materials.
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Raise your skill level
To be a part of this revolution, start building your skills. Here are some steps to help you.
, Basic AI Literacy: For non-technical people, start with introductory courses on AI and machine learning to understand the basic concepts. Platforms like Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy offer accessible courses.
, Learn the basics of the underlying AI algorithms: For technical people, focus on machine learning, natural language processing, and other core AI concepts. Python is the best language for ML and AI. Familiarize yourself with libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Keras. These tools simplify model development and experimentation. Practice coding and implement simple ML models to gain practical experience. Understand concepts like neural networks, backpropagation, optimization algorithms, variational autoencoders (VAE), generative adversarial networks (GANs), and recurrent neural networks (RNNs). More advanced students should consider doing a master’s or advanced courses in fields related to AI or data science. Advanced degrees provide in-depth specialization and research opportunities in this field.
,Focus on real-world applications: Generative AI is more than just coding; sometimes, we can use it without even having coding experience. Find out how it’s being used in creative fields like art and writing, as well as software development, science, marketing, and more. A holistic approach will make you a leader.
,learn by doing: Get hands-on experience building and training generative AI models. Participate in coding challenges, hackathons, and AI competitions involving writing, image generation, or translation. Play around with different model architectures and really understand how they work. Connect with online and offline AI and creative communities. Join forums, attend meetups, and attend workshops and conferences.
,Show your skills: Create projects that demonstrate your ability to build safe and beneficial generative AI applications. Contribute to open-source projects, write blog posts, and join online communities. Find mentors who are experienced in integrating AI with creative fields. Their guidance can provide valuable insight and career advice.
,Leverage domain knowledge for double impact: Companies will need people who can use this powerful technology to improve their operations and products. Imagine combining your generative AI skills with in-depth knowledge of a specific field, such as medicine or software development. You will be in great demand.
The generative AI revolution has just begun and is changing the world. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the global AI market is expected to reach $190 billion by 2025, with most of the growth coming from the adoption of AI across industries. This is your chance to be a part of it right from the start. Develop the right skills and keep ethics in mind; you will be in great demand. Imagine how many incredible things you can create. It won’t be easy, but the hard work will pay off. You will have the chance to make a real difference in the world. Become a research pioneer, a corporate leader or even an AI startup founder. It’s your job to shape the future. Seize this opportunity and make your mark!
(Author Professor Manish Gangwar is Executive Director, ISB Institute of Data Science. Views expressed here are personal.)
