No longer just the domain of science fiction, artificial intelligence is becoming a skill in high demand – and for good reason.
With AI set to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030, artificial intelligence specialist comes out on top of Australia’s list of top emerging jobs in a 2020 report by LinkedIn. Artificial intelligence skills are also a key component of many jobs in the top 10, including marketing automation specialist, robotics engineer (software), and site reliability engineer, to name a few.
Deakin’s Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence is among the first postgraduate AI courses of its kind in the country. Professor Peter Eklund and Dr Bahareh Nakisa explain what it’s like to study the course, the opportunities to upskill and become industry certified, and practical learning experiences available to students.
Studying to become an artificial intelligence specialist
If you’re new to the industry and looking to develop your knowledge base in AI, then the Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence will help you get there.
‘The Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence covers a broad range of topics in artificial intelligence such as computer vision and speech analysis, AI solutions in different domains, reinforcement learning, mathematics for AI, and the ethical use of AI,’ Prof. Eklund says.
‘Students will not only get a degree in artificial intelligence, which provides them with the technical know-how for their dream job, but also learn the soft skills necessary in contemporary workplaces like communication, agility and adaptability, critical thinking and problem solving.’
As part of the course you will learn how to design, build, and deploy AI solutions in various applications and domains; build services such as image recognition, recommendation systems, and natural language processing; and enhance your knowledge of modern data analysis, such as machine learning.
If you already have prior knowledge and experience in some or all of these areas, and are looking to further enhance your existing professional skill set, you might be suited to the Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence (Professional) instead. (Or, if the application of contemporary statistics and machine learning is more what you’re after, then the Master of Data Science might take your fancy.)
Understanding the future of machine learning through practical experience
The major learning components of the Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence course will ensure your theory, knowledge and skill set meets industry standard so you can feel confident in your ability to provide solutions to clients based on their individual needs.
You will also get the opportunity to upskill and learn how to work with the latest cloud-based services like Microsoft Azure, enhancing your employability and achieving industry certification in the process.
Additionally, alongside rigorous theory and learning, you will be exposed to a variety of industry-linked opportunities to put theory into practice and exercise what you’ve learned in the classroom.
‘In Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence, we offer a broad range of industry-linked opportunities for students to apply their knowledge into real-world applications,’ Dr Nakisa says.
‘For example, in collaboration with Microsoft, we are offering both paid and unpaid internships (industry-based learning) to our students who are specialised in AI and Microsoft AI services.’
The opportunities to apply your learning in the real-world will help you become more specialised and set you up for your choice of successful careers in AI.
Careers in AI as an artificial intelligence specialist
With a comprehensive knowledge base and industry experience under your belt, you can harness your AI specialist skills to help guide companies and organisations as they increasingly begin to embed AI within their operations.
96% of fortune 1000 executives surveyed in the US reported successful outcomes from big data and AI advancements made already, and 92% plan to increase the pace of investment into such initiatives.
Careers in AI are thriving everywhere from healthcare, to retail, to financial services, to transport and logistics, impacting the way we socialise, communicate, organise, search, and travel. And it’s only going to continue to advance.
As Prof. Eklund explains:
‘An AI specialist can help their clients make better decisions by applying new technologies and techniques to create new business processes and models that enhance business productivity.’
Ready to enhance your skill set and become a specialist in AI? Explore Deakin’s Master of Applied Artificial Intelligence course, one of the first of its kind in the country.