BENEFITS OF AI CERTIFICATIONS IN 2022

Artificial Intelligence is a wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. The four different types of AI involve- Reactive machines, limited memory, Theory of mind and self-awareness. Some interesting examples of AI from our daily routines include Siri, Alexa and other smart assistants, self-driving cars, Robo-advisors, conversational bots, email spam filters and Netflix’s recommendations.

The expansive goal of artificial intelligence has given rise to many questions and debates that no singular definition of the field is universally accepted. Though, AI is an interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches but advancements in ML and deep learning are creating paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the tech industry. For those keen on obtaining skills in the AI industry, one option is to pursue a credible AI certification.

AI certification programs provide an overview of the major areas on the Artificial Intelligence and a test to show competence. For employers, an AI certificate provides third-party ratification of a candidate’s basic knowledge and skills related to AI development. Most curriculums focus on programming and math behind the fundamental topics within AI, with a heavy emphasis on Machine learning (ML), Deep learning (DL), Natural language processing (NLP) & their practical applications. AI education currently lacks standardization, but standards for AI definitions, ethics & education have been proposed by the EU, Institute of Electrical & electronics engineers and international organization of Standardization.

Fundamentals of AI certification:

• Learning principles & terminologies of human and AI
• ML best practices
• Describing how AI is part of ‘Universal Design’ and the ‘Fourth industrial revolution’
• Learning to avoid challenges of AI
• Managing risks of AI
• Efficiently drive AI projects

The target audiences for AI certifications includes professionals like Engineers, scientists, chief technical officers, service architects, change practitioners & managers. It also caters to program/ project head, web page developers, portfolio strategists, process architects & many.

But looking at today’s scenario & marketplace competition, it clearly proves that merely possessing a graduate or a post-grad degree won’t serve the purpose, until one possesses a competitive market-edge with a credible well-known AI certification, that places you way up in the job-role acceptance ladder. Hence, the benefits of an AI certification are numerous, to begin with:

• These showcase & highlight your expertise
• You, in the process of gaining knowledge, build smarter systems
• It lets you stay ahead in your career
• Enhances your understanding of AI manifold

So, talking about the Artificial Intelligence certifications available in the market today, in order to be successful in studying AI, students typically need a fundamental knowledge in:

• Python programming- Most assignments will be written in this language
• College calculus & linear algebra, especially multivariable derivatives, matrix & vector notation & common operations
• Probability theory with basic distributions, functions & fundamental definitions such as expectation, independence & dependence

Organizations that certify in AI fall into 4 main categories– Vendors, technology associations, universities & education platforms. Each backs the credibility for their credentials in varied ways and certifies different aspects of AI knowledge. Few examples of each are as follows:

• Vendors– Microsoft Azure, Google cloud, IBM cloud
• Associations– Technology associations such as ARTiBA & USAII offer study portfolios that allow those with an understanding of AI to pass a test & obtain a credential
• Universities– Degrees & certifications in AI from Stanford, Massachusetts institute of technology, Oxford university, University of Texas at Austin and many more
• Online education platforms like Coursera, edX, Google, LinkedIn, Udacity & Udemy

LEADING ONLINE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CERTIFICATIONS TODAY:

1. STANFORD UNIVERSITY: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM CERTIFICATE

Its AI certificate program covers an introduction to ML and both theoretical and project-based learning in NLP & understanding.

2. UNITED STATES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INSTITUTE (USAII™)

USAII offers three AI certification programs namely- Certified AI Engineer, Certified artificial intelligence consultant & Certified AI Scientist- all catering to qualify you for a great start in your AI career. These include e-learning materials which are vetted by seasoned AI industry experts and covers the business applications and in-depth concepts of AI, ML, DL, NLP, computer vision, generative adversial networks, reinforcement learning & more.

3. MASSACHUESETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (MIT)

MIT offers two AI certificates- The AI Product design certificate through Emeritus.org and the broader & more expensive Professional education certificate.

4. COURSERA

This education platform offers about 25 AI courses that also provide a professional certificate, prerequisites being the level of student’s experience. Programs are DL-AI TensorFlow developer, IBM data science, CertNexus CAIP.

As the artificial intelligence workforce continues to expand, its important for tech professionals to consider honing their skills in certain areas if they want to pursue a thriving career in AI. Knowing which skills are most in demand can help candidates work out what they need to develop for roles such as Machine learning engineers or data scientist. Having specialist technical knowledge, AI skills and expertise with machine learning certifications and artificial neural networks is definitely is great start to becoming an ML engineer, but many companies expect more. Example- Engineers must possess domain expertise in their business as this knowledge helps them to understand specifics of the industry and any challenges the business is trying to resolve. AI career opportunities have escalated recently due to its surging demands in industries.

The hype that AI will create tons of jobs is justifiable. A career in AI looks more promising than any other jobs available these days. Abundant AI career opportunities are present owing to wide applications in different fields. That’s the exact reason why one should invest in upgrading themselves with a credible AI certification from the above listed entities, that will surely help them with an edge over their peers in 2022 an years to come.