ARTICLE
Next week, the Santa Cruz County Chamber will hold an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop hosted at the Elks Lodge with our guest speaker David Dennis, principal program manager at Microsoft. Event information and the link to register is: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/events/Chamber-Luncheon-Unlock-your-Potential-Work-Better-with-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-6412/details. The workshop will explore ways you can utilize AI at work and in your day-to-day life. AI is perceived as the next “big tech’ innovation product that can be the game changer of the future. There were similar technology call-outs about the development of an innovative tool — the Internet of the 1990s — that changed how we communicate, research and explore using this technology tool that has advanced beyond our expectations. AI stands alone to be incorporated into everyone’s life. We continue to hear various concerns about the destructive uses of AI that intercede in controlling the outcome of our elections and are used by foreign operatives. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machine learning, through computer systems. And yes, Siri is a form of AI. It is essential to understand the different types of AI that have been around for decades. Several early adopter examples of AI were known as AI-powered software assistants that can perform tasks based on voice commands: Think IBM’s Shoebox introduced in the 1960s which could recognize and respond to 16 spoken words. Siri’s introduction and launch in October 2011 is another example. While Siri was not the first AI, it reached the masses and was the first widely adopted voice assistant leading to the advancement of this technology of the future. Today's use of AI and the expanding technology has led NVIDIA to become the financially and fastest growing technology company on the planet surpassing Apple as number 1. Let’s shift gears here: with any advancement of technology that can be utilized in different ways, the industry will need workers who understand how AI works and how to use it effectively. Governor Gavin Newsom pushed a recent deal with Nvidia which will boost AI education at the community college level and eventually open the door to similar deals for public four-year universities in California. We are quickly seeing computer science programs adding AI classes and majors to prepare students for a new era of blue-collar and technical AI jobs. Nathan Lim, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, recently spent the summer working on an artificial intelligence tool to help students evaluate their senior project ideas for ethical and social justice implications. He is one of many California college students choosing to learn about AI theory and its emerging applications while preparing to enter an ever-changing workforce. Simultaneously, colleges and universities across the state are working to expand and develop AI courses and degrees to keep up with demand. As colleges and universities are developing AI programs, these partnerships (with Nvidia and others) will give students more access to the technology that tech companies use while teaching students how to use it In a CalMatter’s article the simple explanation as to why AI is a career path, Lim’s father, who studied computer science in college, encouraged his son to explore computer coding which has led to younger Lim’s career path. “Someone asked Lim why he wanted to specialize in AI in the computer science field,” Lim said. “I told him, ‘I feel like if I don’t, then my job is gonna get replaced by someone who does.’” The message is clear, AI is an adaptive technology resource for the next generation workforce whether it be strictly in the higher end technology education or for blue-collar jobs that are advancing because of the expanding use of AI. more “blue-collar AI” opportunities are popping up — jobs that work with AI, but don’t necessarily develop or innovate with it, and that typically do not require a master’s degree. One example is a prompt engineer, which is someone who writes the inputs that companies use to get responses from AI platforms such as ChatGPT. Prompt engineers may use AI to help create presentations or streamline a company’s internal processes, for example. You can learn more about the expansion of AI classes at the community college level and at four state universities: https://calmatters.org/education/2024/10/california-community-colleges-ai-careers/ Now back to the reason why the Santa Cruz County Chamber is exploring an AI workshop for our members and the community — we know specifically that as the job market shifts with the advancement of technology it is never too late to jump in and learn about the future. I hope you can take time to join us on Nov. 7 at the Elks Lodge. Registration is: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/events/Chamber-Luncheon-Unlock-your-Potential-Work-Better-with-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-6412/details.
Next week, the Santa Cruz County Chamber will hold an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop hosted at the Elks Lodge with our guest speaker David Dennis, principal program manager at Microsoft. Event information and the link to register is: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/events/Chamber-Luncheon-Unlock-your-Potential-Work-Better-with-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-6412/details. The workshop will explore ways you can utilize AI at work and in your day-to-day life.
AI is perceived as the next “big tech’ innovation product that can be the game changer of the future. There were similar technology call-outs about the development of an innovative tool — the Internet of the 1990s — that changed how we communicate, research and explore using this technology tool that has advanced beyond our expectations. AI stands alone to be incorporated into everyone’s life. We continue to hear various concerns about the destructive uses of AI that intercede in controlling the outcome of our elections and are used by foreign operatives. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machine learning, through computer systems. And yes, Siri is a form of AI. It is essential to understand the different types of AI that have been around for decades.
Several early adopter examples of AI were known as AI-powered software assistants that can perform tasks based on voice commands: Think IBM’s Shoebox introduced in the 1960s which could recognize and respond to 16 spoken words. Siri’s introduction and launch in October 2011 is another example. While Siri was not the first AI, it reached the masses and was the first widely adopted voice assistant leading to the advancement of this technology of the future. Today's use of AI and the expanding technology has led NVIDIA to become the financially and fastest growing technology company on the planet surpassing Apple as number 1.
Let’s shift gears here: with any advancement of technology that can be utilized in different ways, the industry will need workers who understand how AI works and how to use it effectively. Governor Gavin Newsom pushed a recent deal with Nvidia which will boost AI education at the community college level and eventually open the door to similar deals for public four-year universities in California. We are quickly seeing computer science programs adding AI classes and majors to prepare students for a new era of blue-collar and technical AI jobs. Nathan Lim, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, recently spent the summer working on an artificial intelligence tool to help students evaluate their senior project ideas for ethical and social justice implications.
He is one of many California college students choosing to learn about AI theory and its emerging applications while preparing to enter an ever-changing workforce. Simultaneously, colleges and universities across the state are working to expand and develop AI courses and degrees to keep up with demand. As colleges and universities are developing AI programs, these partnerships (with Nvidia and others) will give students more access to the technology that tech companies use while teaching students how to use it
In a CalMatter’s article the simple explanation as to why AI is a career path, Lim’s father, who studied computer science in college, encouraged his son to explore computer coding which has led to younger Lim’s career path. “Someone asked Lim why he wanted to specialize in AI in the computer science field,” Lim said. “I told him, ‘I feel like if I don’t, then my job is gonna get replaced by someone who does.’”
The message is clear, AI is an adaptive technology resource for the next generation workforce whether it be strictly in the higher end technology education or for blue-collar jobs that are advancing because of the expanding use of AI. more “blue-collar AI” opportunities are popping up — jobs that work with AI, but don’t necessarily develop or innovate with it, and that typically do not require a master’s degree. One example is a prompt engineer, which is someone who writes the inputs that companies use to get responses from AI platforms such as ChatGPT. Prompt engineers may use AI to help create presentations or streamline a company’s internal processes, for example. You can learn more about the expansion of AI classes at the community college level and at four state universities: https://calmatters.org/education/2024/10/california-community-colleges-ai-careers/
Now back to the reason why the Santa Cruz County Chamber is exploring an AI workshop for our members and the community — we know specifically that as the job market shifts with the advancement of technology it is never too late to jump in and learn about the future. I hope you can take time to join us on Nov. 7 at the Elks Lodge. Registration is: https://web.santacruzchamber.org/events/Chamber-Luncheon-Unlock-your-Potential-Work-Better-with-Artificial-Intelligence-AI-6412/details.