Headlines regularly warn against a scary future: that our jobs will be replaced by AI. But the truth is more nuanced. AI doesn’t take over jobs on its own. However, as people start using AI skills and tools and become more efficient, how the work gets done changes.
This is similar to how spreadsheets and calculators didn’t take over for accountants. Instead, one accountant can now be more efficient. This may mean a company can need less people, but the role itself is still needed.
Similarly, AI isn’t replacing the work, but reshaping how it gets done. Being able to adapt early to AI can be key to staying on top and keeping up with your industry.
How AI Works
Despite the name, Artificial Intelligence isn’t all-knowing. In fact, it doesn’t ‘understand’ things at all. AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini work by learning patterns from huge amounts of data (like books and websites), so they can predict what words should come next in a sentence. They don’t think or understand things the way people do. Instead, they use math and statistics to spot relationships between words, ideas, and context.
When you ask a question, the AI looks at your input, considers what it has learned about language, and generates a response that is likely to be helpful and relevant, based on similar patterns it has seen before.
What AI Is Good At
Simple, repetitive tasks are ideal for a machine that relies on predicting patterns.
In practice, this means things like:
- summarising long emails and reports
- generating first drafts of presentations
- planning ideas
- automating repetitive tasks
The more specialist or original you want to be however, the more AI will struggle. The accuracy rate of AI models like ChatGTP is considerably lower when it comes to answering questions on specialist subjects (think orthodentistry or technical engineering skills) than answering generalist questions.
Why Learning AI Skills Matters
Knowing how to use AI can give you a competitive edge and make your life easier. Part of it is knowing how to best prompt it. Part of it is also knowing its weaknesses.
AI tools like ChatGPT can never be 100% accurate, 100% of the time. As mentioned earlier, their accuracy rate also changes based on the topic at hand, and how much data it has about it. But will AI simply tell you it doesn’t have the right data?
More likely than not, the AI tool will simply do what it always does: predict the next part of the pattern. Unfortunately, without accurate data, its prediction will simply be wrong.
Having solid AI skills can help you make sure you never let AI lead you astray. You boost your productivity, and avoid common pitfalls.
How to Learn AI Skills
A well-designed AI skills course doesn’t just teach how to use an AI tool. It helps you understand how they work.
The right course teaches you to:
- Understand what AI can and can’t do
This prevents overreliance, underuse, and unrealistic expectations. - Write better prompts and workflows
Small changes in how you ask questions or structure tasks can dramatically improve results. - Use AI securely, ethically, and legally
It’s key to know what information you can share with AI, as well as risks and ethical ramifications involved.
Overall, an AI skills course like Northcoders’ AI for All course turns AI from a novelty into a competitive advantage.
AI is not here to take your job, but the way you interact with AI will shape your career path. Stay ahead, and start building your AI skills now.
The AI for All course is designed to teach working professionals like you, no tech background needed. It’ll teach you how to make the most of AI, with practical applications in your daily life and your career. Find out more and book your place here.