What Is Generative AI?
Generative AI is a technology transforming nearly every field of work. It is a type of artificial intelligence designed to be creative, that is, it can generate text, images, music, video, software code, and graphic designs—hence the name generative AI. These capabilities make GenAI extremely useful in business while also driving demand for professionals with the computer skills to develop and refine the technology, as well as for those who can effectively use it.
Although some say generative AI will destroy jobs, forward thinkers see expanding opportunities. Computer scientists with AI expertise in product development, data science, software development, AI training, and AI prompt engineering will find exciting career prospects.
Traditional AI vs. GenAI
Wondering about the difference between GenAI and AI in the conventional sense? The difference is in the work they can do. What makes generative AI special is its ability to create. Compare it with some other kinds of AI:
- Predictive AI uses data to make forecasts.
- Analytical AI identifies relationships and produces insights.
- Diagnostic AI looks for anomalies, problems, and causes.
- Machine learning recognizes patterns.
Although each type of artificial intelligence is useful, businesses value generative AI because it can create entirely new content. It can write a press release, help a customer with a problem, automate software code production, and more. As people become more comfortable and experienced using it, generative AI has emerged as a powerful collaborative tool. GenAI doesn’t replace someone who creates, but it can expand their capabilities and improve how efficiently they work.
What Are Popular Uses of GenAI?
Generative AI helps people work faster, do more comprehensive research, automate repetitive or complex tasks, and make better decisions. Some of the ways GenAI is used today include:
- Automation: Generative AI can read through and summarize documents and meeting notes, draft letters and emails, organize information, and produce reports.
- Interpreting: With this technology, you can take complex write-ups and jargon-heavy text and translate it into material that’s easier to understand.
- Problem-solving: GenAI can help with brainstorming, troubleshooting, and recommending potential solutions.
- Software development support: It can improve programmer efficiency by generating blocks of code, debugging software, and speeding up development cycles.
- Customer service: AI-powered chatbots can help customers around the clock across a variety of tasks and issues.
- Content creation: GenAI can be used to write and edit copy, create and edit images and video, design graphics, and more.
- Prototyping and testing: Innovation is faster with the ability to explore options and see how they work across scenarios.
- Decision support: GenAI researches topics, organizes notes, analyzes options, and recommends choices.
What Is Responsible AI?
Responsible AI is concerned with ethical and transparent approaches to designing, developing, and training artificial intelligence applications. The idea is that they should be fair, accountable, and safe. They should not harm people, organizations, or society as a whole. Responsible AI is consistent, accurate, and reliable, reducing misinformation, scams, and dangerous instructions. Privacy and security should be built in. When it comes to applications in the real world, it should prevent accidents and harms in things like self-driving cars, medical devices, robotics, and industrial systems.
AI should make human oversight and intervention easy and effective. The more AI is used in business, finance, government, health care, and other fields, the more responsible practices are coming to the fore.
Start You Career in AI with Excelsior
The AI revolution is just getting started. As industry and businesses increase the scale and scope of how they use it, demand for skilled professionals will grow. Areas of specialization include software development, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and AI systems management. Knowing how to develop, use, and promote responsible AI practices will be invaluable in any tech career.
A technology degree like Excelsior University’s BS in Computer Science opens a vast and growing variety of career paths to you. Our program evolves as fast as technology is evolving so you graduate with the technical and professional skills that are immediately relevant in the workplace. You’ll gain computer science theory with hands-on experience in software development, systems management, data science, networking, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. But you’ll also learn to think critically about ethical and societal issues around computer technology.
In a future where humans and GenAI work together, Excelsior’s program gives you a strong foundation for success in the field, with opportunities for career advancement.
