Cognitive scientist and Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence (AI) in 1955 when he began his exploration of whether machines could learn and develop formal reasoning like humans. More than 60 years later, AI is the hottest tech topic of the day, from the boardroom to the breakroom. The vast majority of technology executives (91 percent) and 84 percent of the general public believe that AI constitutes the next technology revolution, according to Edelman's 2019 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey. PwC has predicted that AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. AI powers voice-based devices, filters our email, and guides our search results.

Cognitive scientist and Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence (AI) in 1955 when he began his exploration of whether machines could learn and develop formal reasoning like humans. More than 60 years later, AI is the hottest tech topic of the day, from the boardroom to the breakroom. The vast majority of technology executives (91 percent) and 84 percent of the general public believe that AI constitutes the next technology revolution, according to Edelman's 2019 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey. PwC has predicted that AI could contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. AI powers voice-based devices, filters our email, and guides our search results.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in the enterprise is poised for significant growth, so it's no wonder savvy IT professionals are looking for ways to align their career trajectories with it. Indeed, there was a 29 percent increase in the number of AI jobs listed on Indeed from May 2018 to May 2019, and a concurrent 15 decrease in candidate searches for AI roles, suggesting a potential shortage of AI experts on which IT pros could capitalize. "Machine learning and AI has become ubiquitous in our lives," says Timothy Havens, the William and Gloria Jackson Associate Professor of Computer Systems at Michigan Technological University's College of Computing and Director of the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems. "This marketplace is going to grow exponentially in the coming years; it is the perfect time for both young people and also those who wish to make a career change to become involved in a field that is going to change everything." For many IT professionals, a role in AI can be a logical next step that takes advantage of some of their existing skills.