{"id":9108,"date":"2019-06-12T14:46:17","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T18:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=9108"},"modified":"2019-06-12T15:57:32","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T19:57:32","slug":"skills-youll-need-to-lead-the-ai-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/skills-youll-need-to-lead-the-ai-revolution","title":{"rendered":"Skills You’ll Need to Lead the AI Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Computers that can work faster and better than humans are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Artificial intelligence (AI) powers some of the tools we use in our everyday life like ride sharing apps, smartphone assistants, and social media, and that\u2019s just the beginning. <\/span><\/p>\n

According to a recent <\/span>study by Adobe<\/span><\/a>, just <\/span>15 percent of organizations are currently using AI, but 31 percent said it\u2019s on the agenda for the next 12 months. <\/span>BrainStation\u2019s 2019 Digital Skills Survey<\/span><\/a> also found that AI is top of mind with <\/span>78 percent of respondents saying that machine learning and AI are the trends that will have the most impact on development in the next five to 10 years.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear the industry is booming, and so is the market to hire AI talent. That\u2019s because AI experts have a specialized set of skills that\u2019s not easy to find. The good news is that anyone with a background in programming, data science, math, or statistics has a head start when it comes to building a career in AI.<\/span><\/p>\n

To break down the most important skills you need to work in AI, we spoke to Adam Thorsteinson, a Data Scientist and Educator at BrainStation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Computer Programming and Coding <\/span><\/h2>\n

A background in coding, computer science, or programming is a major benefit for anyone who wants to work in AI. The most important coding language you need to know? That depends on the problem or project you\u2019re working on, but SQL and either R or Python are a good place to start. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThese coding languages are the backbone of extracting, manipulating and finding insights in data,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding other common coding languages like C, C++, and Java is helpful, too. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Linear Algebra and Calculus <\/span><\/h2>\n

Math <\/span>\u2014 <\/span>whether you love it or hate it \u2013 it\u2019s an important part of AI. But thanks to coding, you don\u2019t need to be a mathematician to work in AI. Being able to understand the math that\u2019s going on behind the scenes, however, is important. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLuckily, the coding languages take care of the actual computation, but understanding the intuition behind algebra and calculus and how they become part of the AI process is helpful,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

For algebra, it\u2019s important to understand the concept of a scalar versus a vector, matrix multiplication, changes of basis operations, and projection into higher\/lower dimensions. For calculus, understanding the concept of a derivative and finding minimums and maximums of functions will be helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Basic Statistics <\/span><\/h2>\n

Statistics, a type of math that collects and analyzes data, is the foundation of AI and machine learning tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, some people even argue that machine learning is just <\/span>glorified statistics<\/span><\/a>. What\u2019s certain is that people who want to work in AI should have some knowledge of statistics and statistical models. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding basic statistics like hypothesis testing, p-values and the fundamentals of regression models is helpful,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

Communications Skills <\/span><\/h2>\n

In addition to technical AI skills, the importance of soft skills like communications shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCommunications skills separate the good technical workers from the great ones,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

Business leaders need to be able to understand and communicate the value of AI to potential customers and investors. That\u2019s why someone who can do the technical work and talk about it in plain language is a valuable asset. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you may have built some really impressive machine learning models, but can you explain what you’ve done to someone else? Can you sell someone on it? Can you frame your work in terms of a business problem and the solutions it’ll enable?\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

Support Roles in AI<\/b><\/h2>\n

The future is bright for AI experts, and that means businesses will be in the market to hire non-technical roles (like marketing, communications, sales, project management and recruiting) to support AI teams and projects. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWorking in AI doesn’t necessarily mean being a Machine Learning Engineer or Data Scientist. For anyone non-technical, working in AI is still highly achievable,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

For anyone wanting to work in a non-technical AI role, Thorsteinson recommends learning basic terminology from the field, what a predictive model is, what they can and can’t do, and the difference between business intelligence, business analytics, and machine learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis will help any non-technical people collaborate with any technical staff in an AI organization,\u201d says Thorsteinson. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find out how BrainStation\u2019s online and on campus courses<\/a> can help you build a career in AI. Talk to a BrainStation learning advisor today.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AI is taking over, but how do you get started in the field? We spoke to Data Scientist Adam Thorsteinson to break down the most important skills you need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":9111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[859,330],"tags":[494,355,332,331,512],"yoast_head":"\nSkills You'll Need to Lead the AI Revolution | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"AI is taking over, but how do you get started in the field? 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