New technology is ultimately unavoidable in both the workplace and at school, and with the rise of artificial intelligence in professional settings, it’s pretty safe to assume AI will be one of those things we can’t just opt out of, no matter our career paths or fields of study.
I’m not saying this is a bad thing! AI has already proven itself to be a useful tool for me in many cases. For example, this past semester, my music professor had my class use AI to organize song lyrics. And even as someone who isn’t too keen on the idea of AI, I saw it pretty helpful in that case. (It would’ve taken me way longer than a minute to organize the structure of Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” even though she basically says “I want it, I got it” over and over again.)
But there’s still a ton of confusion about how to actually use AI the *right* way in a professional setting. (I’m lookin’ at you, ChatGPT essay-writers!) Thankfully, it’s looking like AI training is on its way to becoming more common: Google just announced a huge platform for learning how to use artificial intelligence in the workplace. Y’know those training modules you have to complete when you first get a new job? Well this one is the same way, except for a topic you might actually be super interested in learning more about; Google’s AI Essentials course was made to make those boring work tasks easier and help keep workers productive.
But what does the AI course actually entail — and is it worth taking as a college student? Here’s what to know.
What is Google’s AI Essentials course?
Google is introducing a self-paced training course to help individuals across industries with using AI to boost work productivity. The course costs $49 and be accessed via Coursera, a common platform for job skill training.
In the AI Essentials course, users will be taught by experts in AI at Google to gain experience using artificial intelligence to assist with tasks like coming up with content ideas (for example if you work in social media and are looking for post ideas), making decisions and finding resources (such as sourcing vendors for work-related events), and speeding up tedious work tasks like reading and responding to emails. Students will also learn how to effectively write prompts for AI, meaning they can learn how to better ask AI for what they need in order to get the most effective results. In addition to this, the course will have a section on how to identify the biases in AI, making AI a more fair and representative tool for employees to use.
At the conclusion of the course, students will earn a certificate from Google that they can add to their portfolios or share with other professionals, similar to the Google Career Certificates that offer professional job training in a wide array of industries. (Hello, LinkedIn updates!)
At this time, Google is collaborating with employers, nonprofits, and educational institutions to bring this course to more people. For instance, Miami Dade College will offer Google AI Essential to its students; other colleges will likely follow suit. Time will tell whether formal AI training becomes the norm in schools and workplaces, but TBH, it’s starting to look like it.