4 Jobs Where AI Proficiency Can Be Your Competitive Edge

If you haven’t hopped on the generative AI train and played around with some of the most popular tools like ChatGPT, DALL-E, or Descript, then now is a good time to try your hand at these tools and see where they can help you improve your work in terms of both quantity and quality.

In my opinion, AI isn’t likely to replace you at your job, but someone who knows how to use it well may in the future. Here are four jobs where knowing how to use AI tools will give you a competitive advantage.

Data Analytics

One area where AI particularly excels at is automating repetitive tasks, sifting through mountains of data, and spitting out actionable summaries. Data scientists, analysts, and engineers can use AI to streamline data cleaning, perform predictive modeling, and uncover complex patterns that might not be immediately apparent through traditional analysis methods.

If you’re working in data and want to start exploring AI, there are platforms like Coursera where you can enroll for comprehensive courses on AI, machine learning, and data science. You can also seek out mentorship and engage with various AI and data science communities on Reddit (r/MachineLearning), Stack Overflow, and LinkedIn groups dedicated to the topic.

The good news is that every industry can benefit from good data. Everything from social media to manufacturing (and everything in between) can benefit from the information that data jobs provide, so learning how to use AI in this case is guaranteed to be a solid investment for your career.

Content

One of the first jobs to be disrupted by generative AI is content. Crucially, this is also where the technology is getting a lot of backlash.

When OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, it earned the ire of content creators who felt that AI could devalue originality and creativity in content creation. In many ways, this is still an ongoing conversation, and a lot of the criticism comes from a legitimate place.

But if you’re looking for any job in content creation, whether as a social media content creator or a digital marketer, it’s crucial to adapt and embrace the potential of AI tools like ChatGPT. Even a quick look at any job platform will tell you that everything from social media to marketing and journalism now requires some knowledge of generative AI tools.

Even with ethical considerations in play, generative AI can be a boon for content creators who want to generate potentially better content faster. Even if you’re opposed to letting the AI do the writing, these tools can assist in brainstorming ideas, automating repetitive tasks like drafting initial content, and even optimizing content distribution strategies based on good data.

Teaching

Teaching is one of the oldest professions in the world, making it all the more ripe for disruption. While the Internet, video conferencing tools like Zoom, and presentation software like PowerPoint have changed the way we experience education, the fundamental process remains largely the same.

It doesn’t matter if it’s an online course or a professor scrawling notes on a chalkboard — the format still uses the same shotgun approach, where a single method is used to teach a diverse group of students with varying learning styles and needs. And this is where AI can change the game.

According to Forbes’ Cassidy Horton, AI is posed to personalize learning by identifying specific skills and concepts that students are struggling with to deliver an “even more personalized instruction.” Instead of simply telling a student that they got something wrong, AI can help make testing more informative by informing teachers and students alike why a student got something wrong and right.

While AI in this case will still only be as good as its dataset, it can help teachers understand their students more and adjust their methods accordingly. The good thing is that years of good data are already available, and many edtech companies are already working to give students a more personalized and engaging learning experience.

Human Resources

HR departments are already using AI to speed up their hiring processes and eliminate human bias with the use of application tracking systems. Whereas recruiters used to manually sift through hundreds of paper resumes daily, AI-powered ATSs can now automatically screen and rank candidates based on predefined criteria, significantly simplifying the recruitment process while also reducing bias.

As mentioned earlier, AI is poised to revolutionize education, making learning, development, and training a key area for transformation. For example, instead of using a generic training module, AI can create personalized programs catering to an employee’s individual needs, greatly enhancing the program’s effectiveness.

AI’s usefulness for HR doesn’t end there. With the correct data, AI can optimize engagement programs, automate the onboarding process, and track employee progress more efficiently than ever.

So, if you’re an HR professional already comfortable (or at least familiar) with AI tools, then you can take the lead in exploring which tools you can use to hit, if not surpass, your KPIs.

You can even position yourself as someone knowledgeable in emerging tools, making you an asset to any HR department looking to stay ahead of the curve. Good luck!