Since its launch in November, Open AI’s ChatGPT has never been out of the news. This month, Open AI also announced the launch of GPT4, the refined AI model featured in the ChatGPT Plus subscription. Since its launch, ChatGPT has cleared MBA exams, written product descriptions for marketing professionals, stand-up scripts for comedians, codes for engineers, and even love letters.

While there is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) is the future, there have been concerns about AI tools like ChatGPT taking away jobs from humans. According to Goldman Sachs, as many as 300 million full-time jobs around the world could be automated in some way by the newest wave of AI that has spawned platforms like ChatGPT.

But while on one hand, there is the fear of jobs shrinking, there's also an opportunity to be grabbed — companies have now started offering six-figure salaries to a select few who know how to use the next-gen AI chatbots.

In just the last six months, job platform Fiverr saw a 1,400 percent increase in demand for services connected to AI. Further, many employers have also started asking for ‘know how to use ChatGPT’ as a skill on recruitment platforms.

Prompt engineering is the hottest job trend in AI

Do you know that some companies are paying up to $335,000 per annum or over Rs 2 crore for knowing how to talk to ChatGPT?

The hottest job in the field of AI right now is prompt engineering, which requires people to talk to a program such as Google's Bard or OpenAI's ChatGPT and try to convince it to respond in certain ways. According to a report in Bloomberg San Francisco-based AI startup, Anthropic is hiring a ‘prompt engineer’ with a salary of up to $335,000 per year.

Also read: From manual pricing to ChatGPT: How Air India is transforming under Tata

One of these prompt engineers, Albert Phelps, who works for a UK-based Accenture consultancy company subsidiary, told Bloomberg that the job entails serving as an "AI whisperer.”

Also, one of the best parts of many of these AI jobs is that people can pursue them, regardless of educational background. So technically, you do not need to be an engineer to land a high-paying AI job.

Additionally, in the US, companies like NSM Automation are also offering internships for prompt engineers.

Here are some AI jobs to look out for

According to Manikanth Challa, CEO & Founder, Workruit, these are some of the AI jobs in demand:

• Prompt Writers - For creating content and questions to train AI models.

• Data Scientists – For analysing and interpreting data to improve AI algorithms.

• Software Engineers - Developing and optimising AI algorithms and systems.

• AI Ethicists - Ensuring responsible and ethical use of AI in various industries.

• AI Trainers - Teaching machines to learn and improve their performance.

• AI Consultants - Advising businesses on AI adoption strategies and implementation.

• Natural Language Processing (NLP) Specialists - Working on the development of NLP models and systems.

• Machine Learning Engineers - Designing, building and implementing machine learning models.

• AI Product Managers - Overseeing the development and implementation of AI-powered products and services

The Rise of AI jobs

In order to use generative AI technologies to enhance their marketing, sales, and business processes, organisations are already looking for people with AI skills.

The demand for AI skills like machine learning, deep learning, NLP, robotics, and image recognition has risen dramatically globally, with the US alone anticipated to see a 30 percent increase, according to a status report on AI by the software development company Tenzai.

India is also not untouched by the wave of ChatGPT. Many companies in India have posted job requirements on Linkedin, adding ChatGPT as one of the skills needed to apply for the job.

“While some jobs will be automated, new jobs will also be created that require expertise in AI, data analysis, and machine learning. Jobs that involve creative problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills will likely remain in high demand. It's also possible that AI tools like ChatGPT will be integrated into various industries, allowing workers to collaborate more efficiently and effectively with machines,” added Challa.

Also read: Microsoft-backed GitHub fires entire India engineering team — is AI at play

A recent report by TeamLease also pointed out that there were 45,000 AI job openings in India alone as of February 2023, with data scientists and machine learning (ML) engineers among the most sought-after careers.

Accenture Technology Vision 2023, ‘When Atoms Meet Bits: The Foundations of Our New Reality,’ report which was made from a global survey of 4,777 C-level executives and directors across 34 countries and 25 industries also mentioned that 98 percent of respondents agreed that AI foundation models will play an important role in their organisation’s strategies over the next 3-5 years.

How can employees stay ahead of ChatGPT?

One thing is for sure — employees who co-exist with AI tools are the future. So both employees and companies need to upskill with technology.

“While some jobs may transform due to automation, others will evolve, requiring workers to adapt and develop new skills. Furthermore, AI tools like ChatGPT can also create new job opportunities in AI development, training, and management. The key to this transition will be ensuring that workers are provided with the necessary resources and support to reskill and adapt to new roles. Workforce role transformation and novel opportunities will coexist, necessitating strategic upskilling and reskilling initiatives for smooth transitions,” said Sumit Sabharwal, CEO of TeamLease HRtech.

Even when we asked ChatGPT if it would take jobs from humans it said “Yes, AI has the potential to take over some human jobs. As AI technologies continue to improve and evolve, they are becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks that were previously done by humans. For example, AI can automate repetitive and routine tasks, analyse data more quickly and accurately than humans, and even perform complex decision-making processes.”

“Overall, it's likely that AI will continue to play an increasingly important role in the workplace, but it's unlikely to completely replace human workers in the near future. Instead, AI will likely augment human skills and provide new opportunities for collaboration between humans and machines,” it added.

Also read: Generative AI like ChatGPT will be a co-worker, will not replace jobs: TCS

The chatbot also added that for humans to stay ahead of AI, it requires developing skills that are complementary to those of AI.

Sabharwal suggests that employees need to continuously acquire and refine skills, staying attuned to technological breakthroughs.

He further added that upskilling targets emerging sectors such as data analytics, AI ethics, or ML engineering, embracing adaptability and leveraging networks.

Also read: Will the AI jobs revolution bring about human revolt, too?

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Apr 1, 2023 10:52 AM IST