AI-powered educational tools have significantly improved tech workers’ ability to learn on the job, teach themselves new skills and save time while maximizing their output.
5 Reasons to Upskill Using Generative AI
- It is affordable and accessible.
- It is fast and efficient.
- It provides personalized, hands-on training.
- It is customizable to the learner’s needs.
- It makes it easier to assess and evaluate a learner’s progress.
Additionally, these tools ensure greater and more equal opportunities for tech workers without advanced degrees to break into their desired industries. Many workers are foregoing traditional four-year degree programs due to skyrocketing tuition costs and the fact that many industries are eliminating degree requirements from their job postings.
To this end, generative AI-powered educational tools are helpful for professionals in tech industries and for the companies that employ them, especially in industries, for instance cybersecurity, where skills gaps are widening. Driven individuals can use these tools for fast, personalized learning and professional development. In turn, businesses and organizations can hire from a larger pool of available and talented tech workers who may not have otherwise had the opportunity or resources to learn and apply for these roles.
How Generative AI Helps With Upskilling
Generative AI-powered educational tools differ from traditional upskilling resources in several ways. Traditional upskilling resources such as bootcamps, workshops or mentoring programs often specialize in one particular subject or topic. Furthermore, these courses can be rigid and inflexible, depending on the instruction method and the available course schedule.
Meanwhile, generative AI can create learning materials quickly using natural language processing (NLP) tools, assist users with learning technical documentation and provide in-depth explanations on those topics to the user’s level of specification. On average, generative AI tools are more flexible and customizable, with users being able to tailor multiple aspects of their experience down to language, specificity, method of instruction and more.
Finally, learners and businesses can use generative AI to assist in the assessment and evaluation of a user’s progress in the company. AI-powered 360-degree feedback tools let businesses upload relevant metrics and other information and provide personalized recommendations to improve that employee’s current performance.
Why Generative AI-Powered Upskilling Works
With the tech industry constantly changing and evolving, upskilling is just as important now, if not more so, than ever. For engineers seeking to upskill, generative AI tools offer an affordable and accessible way for candidates to learn the skills that a role requires without having to pay for a costly degree or specialized bootcamp program.
For example, TensorFlow, developed by Google, allows engineers to build and train deep learning models as well as access pre-built models and tools that utilize AI to handle smaller, simpler tasks. Another helpful tool is Apache Spark, an open-source data-processing framework that engineers can use to gain hands-on experience in data processing and model training in an environment tailored to their strengths.
Additionally, because AI allows users to learn a skill in a hands-on, learn-by-doing environment, they typically improve their ability to think and work critically and develop a deeper working knowledge of the subject.
It’s also important to consider how rapidly programming languages and other types of software change and update. AI can be the means to level the playing field for ambitious engineers seeking to stay up-to-date because generative AI can speed up simpler, more tedious tasks or automate low-value tasks. This also helps free up an engineer’s time, allowing them to consider their work on a wider scale, think and ideate at a higher level and be more critical of their work.
Industry Case Study: Cybersecurity
Industries like cybersecurity are in dire need of fast and efficient upskilling solutions. Demand for qualified candidates far exceeds the available talent pool, meaning professionals in the industry are dealing with a larger, more overwhelming workload, which leads to burnout.
Because of the significant time commitment a traditional degree program requires, industries are seeking new ways to quickly train driven individuals on the skills necessary to succeed in cybersecurity. Generative AI can play a crucial role in training and upskilling candidates through software that automates simpler tasks and allows the professional to focus on more critical tasks.
For example, through FortiAIOps, IT specialists can learn more about current cyber threats and improve proficiency in identifying threats in a streamlined environment. Additionally, with cyber threats constantly changing cybersecurity, professionals can use Cylance, an AI-powered antivirus software to monitor threat adaptation and familiarize themselves with malware detection through a user-friendly experience.
Generative AI upskilling can also help in other fields. In education, instructors can use AI to gain skills and knowledge that will help them cope with classroom situations and students’ social-emotional needs. Agricultural businesses can use generative AI to access information and tips on managing specific crops or provide step-by-step explanations of relevant processes.
The value of upskilling for software engineers and their employers cannot be overstated, especially in industries with skills gaps. By leveraging generative AI tools, software engineers can acquire new skills and stand out at a faster and more efficient rate, and industries can rapidly hire and train greater numbers of tech professionals.
