Top 7 Artificial Intelligence Careers to Aim for in 2023

Ten years ago, no one would have believed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be such a game-changer. While the concept of machine learning has been around for years, recent advancements in this technology have made machine learning an essential part of our lives and work. From facial ID recognition, navigation maps, chatbots, voice assistants, search engines, text editors to smart home devices, AI is part of everyday life today. This evolution has also created abundant job opportunities. According to a recent report, the demand for AI and machine learning talent has increased by nearly 75% over the past few years and is expected to continue to grow. If you want to succeed in this field, now is the time to build your career.
There are many different paths to a career in AI. Each path requires expertise in specific skills and responsibilities, so you need to first gain a basic understanding of them to determine which path best suits your goals.

We have compiled a list of the most in-demand AI-related careers that you can pursue to kick-start your professional career.

1) Machine Learning Engineer
Machine learning engineers have expertise in developing, designing, and deploying self-executing software. These software solutions provide machines with the ability to automate predictive models. Over time, the more a computer learns from the data sets fed into it, the better it becomes at predicting outcomes from new data sets. A simple example of this concept would be the recommendations made by streaming apps based on the genre of shows you watch most often. Additionally, chatbots, virtual assistants, self-driving cars, traffic predictions, and search recommendations are also new applications in this field.

Education: Strong background in Computer Science, Data Programming, Mathematics, and related fields.

Starting salary – 30 lakh or more per annum2) Data Scientist
A data scientist's job involves collecting and analyzing complex data using various analytical and statistical AI tools. The main objective is to derive valuable information from raw data and use it to generate solutions that business organizations need to grow in a competitive market. For example, a food delivery app uses data from previous orders and browsing history to generate discount offers that users are most likely to accept.

Education – Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field. Many employers prefer candidates with a Master's degree in Data Science.

Starting salary – 50 lakh or more per annum

3) AI Research Scientist
Researchers are responsible for conducting various experiments on existing models to create new algorithms. Simply put, their job is to improve and modify the way machines think and work. The algorithms they generate further help in analyzing data and generating patterns. As a result, the opportunities for AI scientists are countless. They have a huge scope in industries such as healthcare, finance, marketing, insurance, retail, manufacturing, and more.

Education: A bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Programming that demonstrates a fundamental understanding of algorithms.
Starting salary – 325,000+ rupees

4) Robotics Engineer
As the name suggests, robotics engineers develop robots that can perform various tasks without human intervention. They do this by combining elements of computer science, engineering, cognitive psychology, and electronics. Moreover, these amazing creations simplify repetitive tasks and perform them with utmost precision. A great product of this technology, drones are currently used in industries such as agriculture, military, entertainment, and real estate to increase efficiency and precision and reduce costs and time.

Education: At least a degree in Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Robotics.

Starting salary – 350,000+ rupees

5) AI Ethicist
AI ethicists are assigned the task of instilling ethical, political and social perspectives in AI systems. This ensures that the systems or machines operate in a transparent, fair and impartial manner. In the past, many tech giants have been embroiled in legal battles due to the huge amount of data collected from users and customers that may be unethical. To mitigate such ethical risks associated with AI, companies are very keen to hire specialized ethicists. This is perhaps why AI ethicists are in such high demand in the job market.

Education: A bachelor's degree in ethics, philosophy, computer science, or a related field might get you off to a good start.

Starting salary – 200,000+ rupees

6) UX Designer
UX or User Experience Designers play an integral role in evaluating how users interact with a product, program, or website. They design and develop products that are extremely easy to navigate by closely monitoring consumer expectations, behaviors, desires, and triggers. For example, when you visit a hotel booking website, UX designers make sure that the entire search process is quick and user-friendly. Moreover, the smart features they install increase engagement and traffic.

Education: A bachelor’s degree in technology, science, or engineering. Many private universities also offer special UX designer courses to equip you with the necessary skills.

Starting salary – Over 260,000 rupees

7) Business Intelligence Developer
Business Intelligence Developers are responsible for developing and maintaining multiple software solutions that can be used to access data and support company goals, and may be tasked with collecting data, analyzing it, creating new solutions for processing data, correcting errors in tools, and implementing improvements.

Education: Bachelor's degree in IT, Computer Science, Software Development, Business Intelligence or Mathematics.

Starting salary – Over 340,000 rupees

(First published on April 10, 2023)