Career and business opportunities in AI

- One of the challenges facing any of us who write, teach, or work in the enterprise AI field is that the definition is somewhat fluid. For example, should we consider software that alerts us when a server's running low on storage space to be AI? There's no simple answer to how we should define it short of software that simulates human intelligence. We must acknowledge that the opportunities for AI in the enterprise could be narrow or exceptionally wide based on interpretation. For our purposes here, let's assume a broad definition. With this in mind, the opportunities to drive AI business value are considered to be substantial, particularly for large enterprises. Gartner, a leading analyst firm, projects that the dollar amount could reach almost $4 trillion in 2022. We all know it's only going to go up from there for the foreseeable future. Gartner's research indicates this value will be derived through improved customer experiences, new revenue opportunities, and cost reductions. Today and for some time to come, AI implemented in a novel fashion in products and services offers unique, competitive advantages. Pursuing improved customer experiences, new revenue opportunities, and cost reductions are being driven rapidly by an increasingly hypercompetitive marketplace. Organizations have recognized the role of technology, and particularly digitalization, as a core mechanism for achieving these strategic objectives. This means we need greater collaboration between the business and IT departments. There's room for improvement there, as many organizations still think digital transformation is a role for IT rather than an all-hands-on-deck approach. With pressure in the marketplace and more options for technology empowerment, the organizational focus is shifting to an innovation mindset. In support of this, businesses are leaning towards X as a service, or everything as a service, essentially cloud-based architecture. This provides greater business flexibility, the freedom to pursue innovation instead of what are becoming commodity technology services, and greater emphasis on managing data. Handling big data is particularly important with regard to AI projects. In recent research conducted by CompTIA, one of the world's leading technology associations, the top five potential uses for AI in business outside of identifying new revenue opportunities were the following. Improving workflows, analyzing large data sets, improving customer experience, security monitoring and detection, and finally, handling routine tasks. In their initial AI efforts, businesses are expecting to see cost savings as a primary benefit. This is followed by the ability to handle repetitive tasks better, personalize services, and the discovery of new insights in data. According to CompTIA, the career opportunities for IT professionals and enterprise AI projects are varied. The top five skills include support and troubleshooting of AI issues, AI algorithm development, software development, cybersecurity, and data analysis. As all types of businesses embrace AI technology to improve customer experiences, seek new revenue opportunities, and identify cost reductions, opportunities will abound for ambitious IT professionals looking for specialized tech careers and for those willing to diversify their skillset. In a growing macro environment of work disruption and future career uncertainty, at least in the short to medium term, the development of AI will generate both economic activities and career opportunities.