Over the past few months, I’ve introduced you to Artificial Intelligence, explained how it can be used in small business, gone over defense applications and scared you with doomsday scenarios. I thought it best to leave my readers on a positive note. Change offers opportunity, and the rise of AI is no different. 

In this final installment of my series on AI, I’m going to tell you about new careers that are already becoming available. Already, many mundane office tasks and accounting functions are being assumed by AI, and many creative opportunities like content creation (written, audible, and visual) are transitioning to AI generation. To this second point, artists and actors alike are railing against the use of AI in their industries. Likewise, companies are foregoing copy writers and using AI to write press releases. What companies embracing AI are often missing is the first new specialty I’m going to mention. 

Across the board, industry needs those who understand how to interact with AI. Believe it or not, they’ve even got a name for those with this skill, referring to them as “AI whisperers” or more formally, “prompt engineers.” Early adopters of AI require expertise in creating the most effective prompts to get the desired effect from the AI. This is particularly important the more technical the need for information. 

Companies are paying high six-figure salaries for such skills. As we learn more about AI, we are seeing the emergence of an “AI interaction designer,” capable of blending linguistics, psychology, and systems comprehension to enhance interaction with AI. Ultimately, I expect AI to develop its own language when interacting with other systems as well as highly savvy users. 

Another critical capability will be the creation of high-fidelity primary source data. In my initial introduction to AI, I discussed generative AI and Large Language Models. These are the most common interaction with AI and usually rely upon the internet as a dataset to mine for answers. Unfortunately, the internet is rife with misinformation, and if you’ve ever used ChatGPT or another LLM, you know that it can produce some real whoppers if you don’t give it very narrow prompts. Hence, the need for people who know how to interact with AI as well as the requirement for accurate data.

Likewise, the management of datasets will become crucial. If AI is truly “trash in, trash out” as I’ve asserted, then using trash will result in trash results. Management and creation of high-fidelity data is crucial to getting effective results from AI. 

Speaking of datasets, several companies have found themselves in legal trouble for training their AI on datasets they don’t own. Consequently, synthetic data architect is an emerging career path. They develop and maintain high-quality synthetic datasets that preserve statistical properties without leaking personal information to train AI systems. Experts in this new field combine data engineering, generative modeling, and privacy expertise.

There are several other emerging careers in the AI industry, including personal AI custodians who work as curators of data collected by daily use of AI to manage, prune, encrypt and selectively delete digital memories. This service is of particular interest for the wealthy and executives of large corporations. 

The legal profession is also adapting to the rise of AI. As an extension of their intellectual property practices, new generative AI litigation specialists handle copyright cases as well voice cloning fraud, deepfake defamation, and automated decision appeals. 

Even more new careers will arise as we begin to find new ways humans and AI will work together. While AI still doesn’t reason like a human, it may one day. Society will need humans in the loop who understand the technology and act ethically in its development and use. That’s where AI ethicists, auditors, and red teamers come in. In fact, U.S. and international laws require their involvement with the process. These certified professionals are in high demand, assessing AI for bias, hallucination risk, deepfake potential, and societal harm, while the red team specialists work to break AI systems as well as assess them for their potential to provide toxic output. 

Earlier I mentioned that artists and performers are pushing back against AI use in their fields. Already, a talent agent is representing an AI which creates country music, and there has been interest from various labels to sign this talent. Like it or not, AI is going to be used to create images, music, and video. To capitalize, businesses are employing “synthetic media directors” who they claim will maintain creative authenticity despite the use of artificial tools. Understandably, human artists are outraged, particularly concerned that they will be mimicked without their consent. 

Despite the disruption the advent of AI will bring to many industries, it will also create new opportunities. Currently, those at the forefront of these new careers are self-trained, combining experience, savvy, and some self-study to apply unique skill sets to this emerging phenomenon. While formal schools catch up, dig into the technology and experiment. You’ll get better at using AI for many of your current day-to-day functions and may even be able to market those new skills to others who need your newfound expertise.

To sum up the entire series, AI is here, and it is transforming industry and our lives, even if you don’t see it. It will be used to influence you and others and will offer challenges to many. Conversely, change brings opportunity for those who can seize it. Knowledge brings empowerment, and you’ll find that there’s nothing to fear if you understand what’s happening. Unless you plan to jump into a career related to AI, I suggest you keep up with the changes and how they will affect you and your business and adopt best practices to improve your life. 

Once again, I asked Grok AI to create an image depicting a worker interacting with AI. You can see what it produced.