Page 16 - Engineering Career Guide, 4th Edition

features
Become an
AI Wizard
Make artificial intelligence your creative power.
When ChatGPT exploded like digital fireworks on the in- ternet in late 2022, it cast light on the power and promise of arti- ficial intelligence like never before. But AI tools have been with us for years — from Google Search to Siri to Spotify, AI has been shaping our on- line lives all along in ways most of us have never realized.
If you like learning about — and improving — how apps talk back to us, then consider studying computer engi- neering. In this field, you’ll learn how AI engineers use computer hardware, software, and programming languages to write the algorithms and build the data structures that underlie AI sys- tems large and small.
Algorithms are the basic building blocks of all AI systems. In simplest form, they consist of instructions that direct computers to carry out defined operations, just as recipes guide us in the kitchen to make food. Algorithms quickly get long and complicated in developing AI systems. They are often strung together on neural networks, elaborate systems of interlocking data processing operations that work in
much the same way that human brains work. Neural networks help AI systems perform complicated, “intelligent” actions like recognizing images, trans- lating languages, and even playing games. They enable computers to learn, making them better at these tasks the more they do them over time.
Studying AI involves learning cod- ing languages like Python and using AI system-building platforms like Tensor- Flow. You might use such tools to build chatbots, write chess-playing pro- grams, or design apps that predict stock market trends. In all these activi- ties, you’ll discover how to analyze data, adjust algorithms, and improve models to make AI work even better.
Finally, ethics plays a pivotal role in the realm of AI. Your education should include the societal ramifications of AI, its potential biases, and the hurdles associated with upholding fairness and accountability. Gaining an under- standing of the ethical predicaments that envelop AI is paramount. These encompass concerns tied to privacy, bias, the displacement of jobs, and even the decision-making capabilities inherent in AI systems.
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