Teaching AI Literacy to The Modern IT Professional

Saturday, 11 January 2025, 2:23 pm
Article: Hugh Grant

As we move further into the digital age, complex and advanced technology will continue to be an important part of our everyday lives. With this comes a need to understand how and why we use these tools, whether professionally or recreationally, to get the most out of cutting-edge software that has quickly defined a generation. Artificial intelligence is a leader in this new technology, taking over industries and streamlining traditional processes that were in major need of a reboot. Prompt engineering is an important factor in AI literacy, and is a term used to define the art and science behind crafting a prompt that a generative AI model can then interpret and understand effectively.

This process teaches users how to think, emphasizing the importance behind what is said and how it is said. Currently, studies are showing that over 80% of IT professionals think that they can use artificial intelligence, when in actuality only 12% have the necessary skills to prompt engineer effectively. This gap exposed a need for education in the AI realm, driving the establishment of online learning opportunities for professionals looking to level up.

The pressing need for AI prompt engineering is highlighted by statistical research surrounding the current global hiring climate. As many as 2 in 3 leaders have admitted that they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills. However, as many as 70% of global workers need to upgrade their AI skills. Demonstrating this urgency, 60% of IT decision makers say that artificial intelligence constitutes their biggest skill gap. Although many professionals do know the basics of AI, most lack the in-depth knowledge needed to advance in their careers or reach the next level of necessary literacy. For example, most desk workers do not know how to use generative AI effectively at work, how to get the most out of the generative AI models available to them, and don’t know how to leverage trusted data sources.

This can put first-party data at risk and will slow down everyday operations that otherwise could be handled by artificial intelligence technology. With the existing 50% hiring gap between AI jobs and AI roles, it is more important now than ever to learn the “how” and “what” behind this new technology.

In order to teach AI literacy to those who need it most, there are online certificate programs readily available to teach industry leaders these vital skills. Teaching users how to think, participants are schooled on how to structure a prompt for text, images and even video. For text, one can use chain-of-symbol, generated knowledge prompting, least to most prompting and several other methods. For images and video, there are even more options available such as negative prompts, textual inversion and prompt injection. These programs can also be personalized to offer the most unique and helpful experience to those in a variety of fields. Designed specifically for reskilling, upskilling, and cross-skilling, there is no limit to the benefits that these online programs provide. Whether one is starting from scratch or looking to reach the next level in their AI journey, these programs help to eliminate the AI skill gaps that a staggering 72% of leaders believe must be urgently addressed. Learning these new skills will be vital to the growth of the AI revolution, a movement that is already underway.

Especially in a time when we rely on cutting-edge technology for everything we do, knowing how our most advanced models work and how to manipulate them is an important skill. Artificial intelligence is becoming an important component to nearly every industry, making AI literacy a top skill for potential job prospects or those looking to perform at their best in their current role. The time is now to dedicate oneself to learning and becoming an expert in the software that is changing the world around us as we know it.

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