Build an Exciting Career in Artificial Intelligence

Ever ordered McDonald’s from a kiosk that remembers your previous customisations? Or had an ATM remember your currency preference? Well, such is the revolution that AI has brought around. The last decade saw the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and its ever-increasing applications in human lives. From space exploration to electric vehicles and medical breakthroughs, AI has been a driving force behind the technological revolution in recent times. 

At its core, artificial intelligence involves programming systems to replicate human-like learning and decision-making. It’s a constant loop of input, data processing, and feedback. Some of the most common examples of AI we come across regularly are services like Alexa & Siri, face recognition, autocorrect, and e-banking. 

Artificial Intelligence? I wonder why..

All the new-age innovations these days are driven by AI and it’s going to be a key component of it for the foreseeable future! It has also revolutionised and reinvigorated technologies that were already in existence such as self-driving cars and smart elevators. 

It’s easy to see why AI is such an attractive field, purely for the opportunities available. It is also incredibly interesting and engaging for someone with an analytical, creative, and innovative mind! Typically to get into any AI-related field, one needs to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field. 

Forbes estimates the annual growth rate of AI jobs to be 74% – that is quite a high number. In fact, there’s a talent shortage with there being a surplus of jobs but not enough capable individuals to fill up those vacancies. This translates to an almost guaranteed source of employment and one that pays really, really well. In India, the average annual salary of a talented AI professional is INR 20,00,000 *cha-ching*. 

Keeping that important (read lucrative) bit of information in our mind, let’s look at some of the leading career opportunities in Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

Top Artificial Intelligence Careers You Can Pursue

If you’re wondering what are the careers in AI where you can learn and earn, here’s a list of the top roles in the field for you to consider:

Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning at its core is the process of “teaching” machines to act on their own, without any human intervention. This is done by creating algorithms and programming systems accordingly. This way, the machine is not only capable of doing the job assigned to it autonomously but also improving and getting more efficient through constant feedback and self-learning abilities. You can see how this is a potential game changer in so many industries. It has the potential to reduce the time taken to complete a task exponentially, resulting in better utilisation of time. 

As a machine learning engineer, your job would be to “train” and “teach” the system by constantly feeding it data and getting the desired results. To be good at this, one needs to be adept at computers and have a deep knowledge of algorithms and data structures. The necessary skills set for being a machine learning engineer include analytical skills, mathematical skills, communication skills, and the ability to handle massive sets of data. The average salary of this profession in India is INR 3,50,000 to INR 21,00,000 per year. 

Data Scientist. 

The job of a data scientist is to collect and analyse large sets of data to generate patterns and use them for a wide range of applications. They use tools such as data mining, algorithms, and statistics for the interpretation of the data being collected to formulate results. As a data scientist, you’d be a key cog in the process of exploring patterns in order to come up with solutions. 

Data scientists can find employment in several industries such as telecommunication, healthcare, finance, education, and e-commerce. You need to be adept at programming languages such as Python and analytical tools like SQL, SAS & Hadoop to be a data scientist. Other skills you require are problem-solving and analytical thinking. This may sound like a lot but on the plus side, your compensation stands to be equally rewarding with data scientists making anywhere between INR 4,50,000 and INR 25,00,000 annually. 

Business Intelligence Developer

Business intelligence (BI) involves the development and maintenance of internal and external data for the purpose of identification of trends in any given industry. As a business intelligence developer, you’d be dealing with a ton of complex data and then maintaining and making it available to business users through a cloud-based data platform. For example, in a financial setting, this could entail keeping an eye on the ups and downs of the stock market through data analysis and helping someone make sensible financial decisions. Although the demand for BI is not widespread right now, it is expected to grow alongside AI, globally.  

Being a business intelligence developer, one needs to be an expert in SQL and Python, have experience in data mining and data warehouse design, and be familiar with Power BI, Tableau, and other BI technologies. In addition to these, you must also possess strong analytical skills and be adept at communication. A BI developer makes anywhere between INR 3,40,000 & INR 15,30,000 per year. 

Research Scientist

Research is the process of gathering information, analysing it, reporting the findings, and using them in various applications. In artificial intelligence, this extends to conducting research and experiments on algorithms and data sets to attain results. 

As a research scientist, your job involves conducting the said research and communicating the findings to your peers. You are also tasked with tangibly utilising those findings. One such application would be to use them in the development of new technology or a prototype. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, one may also need a master’s or doctorate degree in computer science or engineering to be a research scientist. You also need to possess a skill set of critical thinking, analytical mind, data processing, and communication. The salary range for a research scientist in India is between INR 3,50,000 and INR 15,00,000 per year. 

Big Data Architect/ Engineer 

The term big data is exactly what it sounds like – a large collection of data that is mostly unstructured and needs to be subject to analysis for it to make sense and be useful in a tangible manner. A big data architect or engineer is the person responsible for the design and development of these data ecosystems and for ensuring smooth communication between multiple business bits of intelligence. 

This profession is one of the most lucrative in the AI industry but feels equally more involved and complex as you are tasked with a massive undertaking such as creating an entire big data processing architecture. As a big data engineer or architect, you need to possess expertise in Python, Java, C++, and Hadoop and a considerable experience in stream processing, data mining, data visualisation, and data migration. You may also require a doctorate degree in addition to your bachelor’s and master’s degrees to be a successful big data engineer or architect. Now, all of this may seem like a lot to take in but here’s the fun part – this job can pay anywhere between INR 14,00,000 and INR 45,00,000 annually. 

Robotics Engineer

This is one of the earliest AI careers that became popular. From bottles of cola bouncing across a production line to robotic househelps, AI and robotics have a fascinating history.

Robotics engineers are tasked with building and maintaining robots that operate on AI algorithms. For this, you’d require master’s degrees in computer science, engineering, or other science/technology-based subjects.

Additionally, you’d also require an in-depth understanding of CAM/CAD/2D/3D systems to qualify for a technical role in Robotics. In this career, you can earn between INR 10 lakhs and 20 lakhs per annum based on seniority and specialisation.

NLP Engineer 

NLP or Natural Language Processing engineers are those who work with human language and technology. So, as an NLP engineer, you’d need to work with speech recognition, document processing, voice assistants, etc. 

The top skills required are semantic extraction techniques, modelling, data structures, n-grams, sentiment analysis, etc. Further, you’d need advanced working knowledge of Python, web development, ElasticSearch, etc. to land senior positions in the industry.

You can expect an average salary of INR 8.8 lakhs per annum as a beginner. Your payscale will increase as you earn more industry experience. 

Build a Career in Artificial Intelligence with Mentoria!

We’re in the midst of a technological revolution that promises to permeate all walks of life in the coming years and decades. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integral in our lives, the possibilities of careers and job opportunities are only going to go up. This is the perfect time to hop onto the AI train before it becomes too crowded. If you are someone who is interested in computers and has an affinity for technology, problem-solving, and analysis, artificial intelligence could be the right career path for you! It also helps that it typically pays really, really well. Noice. 

Whether it is artificial intelligence or a more traditional field, your interests are going to dictate what you want to do in life and pursue a career accordingly. Mentoria are experts at gauging your likes and dislikes with respect to academics and mapping out the appropriate career paths for you to excel at! We offer career guidance, counselling and so much more. Get in touch with Mentoria with your queries and we’ll get back to you with comprehensive career solutions!