How to Use AI to Round Out Your Skill Set
There’s a growing demand for AI skills, and whether you’re aiming for a promotion or looking for a new job, understanding how to use and work with AI systems can help give you a competitive edge. In fact, a recent LinkedIn report found a 75% increase in members adding AI-related skills to their profile each month since the beginning of the year. Job seekers on LinkedIn are adding terms like “Prompt Engineering,” “GAI,” and “ChatGPT” to their profiles to stand out.
Learning how to use AI tools won’t just make you more marketable — there’s a good chance it’ll make your current job easier, too. We explore many of these tools in our free course Intro to Generative AI, but here’s an overview of how people in different tech careers are making good use of AI.
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Software engineering
AI models trained on billions of lines of open-source code are entering the marketplace, and while they’re no replacement for real developers, 70% of pros are already using them to perform their daily tasks, per Stack Overflow’s 2023 Developer Survey. Tools like GitHub Copilot can help streamline your programming by generating, optimizing, and debugging code. (You can learn the basics of debugging with AI in our Debug Python Code with ChatGPT case study.)
AI tools can also help you figure out how to advance in your career and find opportunities to learn new skills. For example, we created a Codecademy plugin for ChatGPT that can tell you exactly which courses to take if you want to learn more about a certain topic.
You can even use AI to learn new programming languages, so you can take on different types of projects and expand your tech stack. And outside of coding, AI tools are great for writing code documentation and generating summaries and reports that you can share with other collaborators. For more ideas for using AI tools in your workflow, read our blog post on how software engineers use ChatGPT.
Marketing
Large language models (LLMs) excel at generating naturalistic text, so there are all kinds of marketing-specific tools you can take advantage of. In fact, over 80% of marketers are already using AI in some capacity, according to HubSpot. Programs like ChatGPT can help save time and energy by expediting the planning and execution of marketing campaigns, from figuring out your channel strategy to writing blog posts, emails, captions, and other copy.
You can also use AI to create media assets like pictures and videos to accompany your marketing materials. We put together a few tips on how to use ChatGPT to form a marketing plan, but if you want to go more in-depth, try our free course Prompt Engineering for Marketing.
Cybersecurity
Ethical hackers and other cybersecurity experts are using AI to create more secure systems and better defend from cyber attacks. Data shows that 64% of professional hackers regularly use generative AI tools in their workflow.
This can involve using AI to analyze programs, systems, and networks for anomalies, risks, and vulnerabilities. Penetration testers can also use AI to create more sophisticated cyber attacks — from more resistant malware to phishing schemes that are harder to recognize.
Data analytics
Machines can process information and perform complex calculations faster than a human ever could, which is one of the reasons why AI is well-suited for data analytics. Working with vast databases can be laborious, and AI can streamline time-consuming tasks like cleaning, categorizing, and anonymizing data.
You can also use AI to make your data easier to understand. Companies like Microsoft and Salesforce are implementing AI assistants that use natural language processing to break down complicated datasets and clarify insights into analytics tools like Excel and Tableau. These same functionalities also make creating dashboards, summarizing outcomes, and reporting a breeze — and in some instances, you can use AI to forecast future trends and patterns by evaluating historical data. For a deeper dive into data analytics, check out courses like BI Dashboards with Power BI and Learn Microsoft Excel for Data Analysis
Product management
AI tools can accelerate every part of a product’s development — from R&D to launch. Product managers can use AI to get a jump start on market research and learn about the needs and preferences of their target audiences. Similarly, you can ask AI to analyze your competitors and provide insights into their offerings and reception.
You can also use AI to create a product roadmap that helps guide and inform strategy, which is especially helpful if you’re a little hazy on the technical aspects of development. And if you find yourself looking for new features, AI tools can generate user stories that help fine-tune your product’s functionality.
Finance
AI’s utility in data analytics has led to its wide adoption in the banking and financial industries. Financial institutions generate loads of data, and many are using AI systems to analyze countless transactions and flag fraudulent activity.
On an individual level, financial analysts are using AI to evaluate their clients’ financial history and behaviors — making it easier to provide personalized plans, recommendations, and investment strategies. Some companies are also improving customer service by using chatbots to field and resolve basic questions and issues.
Regardless of industry, AI tools are reshaping the way we do things. And while they won’t be replacing us anytime soon, knowing how and when to use these tools to your advantage is a must if you want to stay competitive. “Ultimately, when we talk about AI’s impact on work, what we are really talking about is how people will adopt these tools and continue to strengthen the people skills that complement them,” Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist at LinkedIn said in the report.
Want to learn more about how AI is transforming our society? Check out our free course Learn the Role and Impact of ChatGPT and Generative AI. And if you need help building the skills you’ll need to take full advantage of these up-and-coming tools, try some of our artificial intelligence courses.
