5 things about AI that you might not have noticed today: Surge in demand for GenAI course, European companies falling behind in AI skills, and more.
Demand for Gen AI courses is on the rise as professionals seek to future-proof their careers, according to a report from LinkedIn. European businesses are falling behind in providing AI skills training for their employees. UK researchers are cautioning against the use of unregulated AI chatbots in social care plans. A study has found that AI-generated faces can deceive viewers. Stay informed with our daily roundup.
1. The demand for Gen AI courses is skyrocketing with the future certainty of professionals
The demand for Gen AI courses has tripled in the past year as professionals strive to remain competitive in the rapidly developing job market. Executives at ed-tech companies such as Upgrad, Great Learning, Simplilearn and Coursera point to enrollment growth, with a 33 percent increase in AI-ML programs and a 2.6-fold increase in next-generation AI courses. In India, demand grew by 195 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting professionals’ proactive efforts to future-proof their careers, according to a report by the Economics Times.
2. European companies lag behind in employee AI training: LinkedIn report
Less than half of European companies actively promote the development of employees’ artificial intelligence skills, a LinkedIn report reveals. Despite a predicted 68% change in workforce skills globally by 2030 compared to 2016, only 44% of UK businesses, 36% in the Netherlands and 38% in France are helping their workforce become AI literate. This highlights the key need for companies to prioritize skills development in a rapidly evolving technology environment, Euronews reports.
3. UK researchers warn of unregulated AI chatbots in social care schemes
UK researchers warn against using unregulated AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Bard to create social care plans. A pilot study by the University of Oxford reveals that care providers are using generative artificial intelligence, potentially compromising patient confidentiality. Dr. Caroline Green of the Institute for Ethics in AI notes concerns about biased data leading to unintended harm. AI offers administrative benefits, but ethical safeguards are crucial in the emerging world of AI in social care, according to a report by The Guardian.
4. Faces created by artificial intelligence deceive viewers, according to a study
A University of Waterloo study reveals that AI-generated faces are difficult to distinguish from real ones, with participants correctly identifying them only 61 percent of the time, well below the expected 85 percent. The study involved 260 participants who viewed images from Google searches and AI programs such as Stable Diffusion and DALL-E. Despite inspecting details such as fingers, teeth and eyes, participants struggled to accurately distinguish AI-generated individuals, highlighting the challenges of visually deceiving AI, according to a mid-day report.
5. High costs in Silicon Valley when researchers do not participate in AI research
Silicon Valley’s exorbitant costs for AI research exclude researchers, preventing independent research into the technology. Fei-Fei Li, a well-known figure in artificial intelligence, called on President Biden to fund a national artificial intelligence repository to help researchers keep up with the tech giants. The difference in resources, when companies like Meta acquire enormous amounts of computing power, also poses a challenge to wealthy universities. High-tech salaries further reduce core academic skills, the Washington Post reports.
