With the popularity of tools like ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the modern workplace, generating new labor demands across industries. AI is having such a significant impact on today’s job market that since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, there has been a 20-fold increase in the number of job postings requiring generative AI skills, and this momentum is expected to continue as more AI solutions hit the market.
“The increasing demand for AI-related jobs in 2024 and beyond is a result of a dynamic relationship between technological evolution and evolving business needs,” says Sara Gutierrez, chief science officer at SHL, a talent insight platform. “As AI permeates varied industries, there is a growing urgency for professionals who can effectively harness its potential. This demand is emphasized by the ongoing explosion of big data, necessitating skilled individuals to develop and deploy advanced algorithms for meaningful data analysis. The drive toward automation and process optimization further drives the need for AI experts. Additionally, the emphasis on industry-specific applications, ethical considerations in AI development, and global competitiveness collectively contribute to the demand for AI-related roles and reflects the integral role AI is playing in shaping the future workforce.”
Read on to learn more about emerging jobs in AI and ChatGPT and how to hire for them in today’s tight labor market.
Top AI Jobs Hiring Now
Given the breadth and complexity of AI, there are a number of different and specialized roles that have made their way onto job boards like Monster and will continue to evolve and emerge in the years to come. Taking a look at the current hiring landscape, Gutierrez says, “Companies are actively hiring for a variety of AI-related positions, each contributing to different aspects of AI development, integration, and deployment.”
For instance, she says Machine Learning Engineer and AI Research Scientist roles are tasked with designing models, algorithms, and new technology. AI Ethicist is another role Gutierrez says is rising in prominence as organizations look to ensure responsible implementation and ethical AI practices. Additional AI-powered careers include but are not limited to:
- AI Engineers: Developing tools, algorithms, and systems to think like human brains.
- Prompt Engineers: Crafting effective prompts to guide and refine outputs of language models like ChatGPT.
- Computer Vision Engineers: Teaching machines to interpret and understand visuals.
- Conversational AI Designers: Shaping engaging and human-like interactions for chatbots and voice assistants.
- AI Product Managers: Overseeing and planning the development of AI products from ideation to implementation.
- AI Solutions Architect: Overseeing the implementation of AI solutions that are tailored to meet specific business needs.
- AI Integration Specialists: Bridging the gap between human expertise and AI systems, facilitating seamless integration and adoption.
- Data Privacy and Ethics Specialists: Developing and implementing frameworks for responsible data collection, storage, and use in AI-powered systems.
- AI Governance and Policy Specialists: Shaping legal and regulatory frameworks for the responsible development and use of AI.
- Cybersecurity for AI Systems: Protecting AI systems and data from malicious attacks and manipulation.
- Explainable AI Educators and Trainers: Equipping individuals with the understanding and skills to interpret and evaluate AI outputs confidently.
- Data Storytellers and Visualizers: Turning complex data into compelling narratives and interactive visualizations using AI tools.
- AI-Powered Content Moderators: Analyzing and filtering online content for harmful or inappropriate material using AI tools.
- AI-Assisted Customer Service Specialists: Combining human expertise with AI-powered chatbots for efficient and empathetic customer service experience.
This list is only the beginning of the types of jobs AI is creating. “In the future, I suspect we’ll see more roles focused on the need to expertly train AI, implementing professionals who can fine-tune AI models to enhance performance and adaptability,” Gutierrez says. “We’ll also see more Integration Specialists who work to create seamless integrations between AI solutions and existing business processes and workflows. Additionally, as AI continues to advance, the job market is likely to experience an emergence of roles that cater to increasingly specialized applications that will leverage AI in areas such as healthcare, education, and even entertainment.”
Skills Needed for Jobs in AI
When it comes to writing job descriptions and sourcing candidates for emerging jobs in AI, there are likely to be several must-have hard, technical skills required for the role. “Foundational technical competencies in areas, such as machine learning, data analysis, and proficiencies in one or more programming languages are often crucial for many AI roles,” Gutierrez says. “Depending on the focus of the role, hard skills in data engineering (data preprocessing, cleaning, and feature engineering), natural language processing, and knowledge of deep learning frameworks may be relevant.”
While finding candidates that meet all of the many technical requirements necessary for an AI job may seem challenging, employers should keep in mind that hard skills are skills that can always be learned on the job, and hiring for AI roles is often about more than just looking for candidates who know how to code. Despite the technological advancements of AI, robots simply cannot replace a human’s interpersonal skills and character traits. Gutierrez says, “Recruiters and employers should prioritize a combination of hard technical skills and essential soft skills as soft skills enable professionals to effectively navigate complex challenges, collaborate across teams, and clearly communicate highly technical concepts. Additionally, creativity and adaptability are particularly highly valued for these types of roles given the fast-paced nature of AI advancements and the potentially evolving nature of roles.”
Upskilling Employees for AI-Powered Careers
As businesses expand into AI, employers should consider upskilling or reskilling their workforce, rather than replacing existing talent, especially in today’s tight labor market. “Reskilling and upskilling efforts are vital for meeting industry demands, increasing operational efficiency and innovation, retaining and satisfying employees, adapting to technological changes, and future-proofing the workforce,” Gutierrez says.
Employers should look within their organizations for top performers with transferable skills like communication, teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving. From there, implementing tailored training programs with online courses, workshops, and even hands-on projects can help arm existing employees with the technical know-how required for a new, AI-powered career.
An efficient way employers can upskill their workforce for emerging jobs in AI is by harnessing the power of AI itself. Joel Wolfe, president of HiredSupport customer service agency, says that by using generative AI, “instead of replacing your weakest employees, you can bring them up to par to match the best performing ones. For higher performing employees, leveraging AI can sometimes increase productivity by as much as 40% when compared to employees that don’t use it.”
Preparing for the AI Revolution
When it comes to hiring not just for AI positions, but for all positions, Wolfe says, “Employers and HR professionals, too, can leverage AI to aid them in the filtering and hiring process in many ways, including job postings, sourcing and recruitment, and even onboarding.” From programming AI-generated chatbots to engage with candidates directly to automating resume screening and interview scheduling, there are countless ways AI can streamline recruitment efforts.
With Monster, employers can continue to improve the effectiveness of their recruitment efforts by leveraging our Pay-Per-Click solution to reach the right candidates and optimize hiring campaigns. Download our free guide to learn how Monster’s Pay for Performance solution can help recruiters prepare and hire for today’s AI revolution.