Successful individuals and businesses today are harnessing artificial intelligence to remain competitive and relevant. While AI will not replace individuals, those who utilize it to outperform them eventually will, said Laurence Liew, director for AI Innovation at AI Singapore.

Growing Demand for AI Skills

According to the 2024 Microsoft Work Trends Index, 45% of professionals are worried that AI will replace their jobs, and 55% of leaders are concerned about a talent shortage to fill roles. This talent shortage creates a significant opportunity for individuals who acquire AI skills, with over 71% of corporate leaders preferring candidates with AI skills, even with less experience.

AI has been a hot topic since OpenAI's ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. However, major companies have slowly incorporated this technology and trained their employees accordingly. There is a discrepancy in the modern workplace between what is seen as necessary and what's seen as feasible. Although 79% of executives believe adopting AI is essential for competitiveness, the pressure to see immediate returns on investment has hindered the transition to AI, making employees worldwide take matters into their own hands and learn to use AI tools independently.

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Risks of Self-Learning AI

Experts say self-upskilling at home can offer both a competitive edge and challenges because many people lack the knowledge to do so safely and effectively.

While numerous free AI resources appear to be available online, including ChatGPT and other tools that utilize large language models (LLMs), experts caution that these tools are not truly free. LLMs are algorithms capable of tasks like identifying, summarizing, translating, forecasting, and generating information by leveraging extensive datasets.

In the realm of free online AI tools, experts warn that data is the currency exchanged for such tools. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid using personal or company data when utilizing these services to prevent potential risks to sensitive information. Learning to upskill effectively in AI involves understanding how to safeguard data.

The No. 1 Must-Have AI Skill

According to Liew, the most important skill to acquire today is effectively communicating with existing AI-powered LLMs, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, and Google's Gemini.

People often misuse ChatGPT because it resembles a Google search. To effectively utilize an LLM, providing specific prompts is key. Liew suggests providing ample context to AI, with detailed instructions rather than a brief request, treating it similar to a diligent intern who may occasionally make mistakes. To enhance skills in AI tools at home, Liew advises using them and refining the technique of providing descriptive prompts to LLMs to improve the generated outcomes.

While you still need to know your domain, Liew highlights the capacity of AI systems to manage repetitive tasks that are expected to expedite work processes significantly, facilitating transformative outcomes. While AI tools might appear foreign today, they will be as familiar as using a spell-checker in Microsoft Word by next year.

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