How to Become an AI Specialist

Last Updated on July 5, 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) engineering and generative AI experts are in high demand. This is because AI technology constantly innovates, streamlines, and automates specific business processes and provides uniquely curated experiences for audiences. AI can transform a business and bring it to the age of modernity.

This is why more professionals looking to give themselves a competitive edge are wondering how to learn about generative AI. This technology, seen in tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT, allows users to develop new and unique pieces of content using prompt engineering. 

A generative AI course through ONLC can familiarize learners with these concepts and build their expertise in developing and implementing these tools.

Artificial Intelligence: Explained

AI technology refers to a computer’s ability to mimic human behavior by learning through expansive datasets. The AI technology recognizes patterns in the data through training, validating, and testing. During this process, the technology develops an algorithm using the datasets before reaching the frontend user experience.

On the front end, users may see a text box–whether it’s to input a romance language for translation or a prompt box to generate AI art–to add their prompts. The AI model processes the prompt, seeking patterns it recognizes to generate the result.

What Is an AI Specialist?

An AI specialist, or AI engineer, is a professional who builds AI models using deep learning neural networks and machine learning algorithms. They can use these skills to make business decisions or draw business insights.

AI specialists are responsible for building different types of AI applications. These applications can include visual perception or contextual advertisements based on analyses.

The Necessary Skills

AI specialists should be able to build AI models from scratch, train and test them, and refine their abilities to produce an optimal output product. As such, these specialists must have a range of specialized skills, such as:

• Communication and problem-solving skills: These soft skills are invaluable in any industry but can be effective at pitching ideas to stakeholders in the world of AI.
• Experience with algorithms and frameworks: Machine learning algorithms are key to developing AI technologies. Specialists should be familiar with algorithms such as linear regression and Support Vector Machines, as well as frameworks like PyTorch and Caffe.
• Skills in linear algebra, probability, and statistics: These skills are critical for understanding and implementing various AI models, including Gaussian mixture models and linear discriminant models.
• Programming skills: Working with AI models and development requires a thorough understanding of computer technologies. Experts recommend that AI specialists learn essential programming languages like Python and C++.
• Familiarity with major data companies: Developing and training AI models requires access to large amounts of diverse data. You must also be competent in handling large data processes to make sense of these large datasets. Some data technologies you should familiarize yourself with include Apache Spark and Cassandra.

Roles and Responsibilities

As an AI specialist or engineer, your primary role is to create and develop AI models and then educate other employees and stakeholders on utilizing this technology. Ideally, your product should be as user-friendly as possible for a smooth front-end experience.

You will also be responsible for helping other employees at your organization learn about AI technology and regularly review the model’s performance. Engineers and specialists are responsible for certain administrative tasks, such as monitoring the costs of developing and implementing AI technologies.

Other responsibilities can include automating processes necessary for data collation, developing data ingestion and transformation infrastructure, and carrying out statistical analysis systems.

Is a Degree Necessary for an AI Specialist?

While it isn’t necessary to have a degree to become an AI specialist, education matters. Many find that a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science gives them the critical foundational knowledge for this role. You will also need to understand various hardware aspects as well as software.

Experts report that those interested in AI development and engineering should have hands-on experience in software development, computer programming, and even robotics.

Start Your Path With ONLC

The path to becoming an AI specialist doesn’t have to start with a costly and time-consuming four-year degree. ONLC is the leading solution for AI training and certification, offering a range of hands-on courses from entry-level to developer status. 

With ONLC, you can gain meaningful certifications that prepare you for your career and keep you competitive professionally. You can learn how to engineer optimal prompts, use large language models, and gain certification in the Essential AI Workbench!