Artificial intelligence (AI) is about to get its own title, with the Australian Government confirming that it will be recognised as a separate qualification for employers.
The move is likely to be welcomed by AI workers, who are looking for a job in a rapidly changing field.
“The recognition will allow employers to identify which of their employees are highly skilled and motivated to achieve great outcomes in AI,” the Australian Information Technology Association (AITA) said in a statement.
AITC, the body that administers the Australian Skills Competitiveness Framework, said AI workers would be able to choose their own qualifications, and they would not have to complete a separate exam.
It said it expected to roll out the new system later this year.
In addition, the AI qualification will not be a part of the Skills Competency Framework, which requires employers to provide a detailed work history, interview, and a background check to be eligible for an AITC-registered job.
But the AITA also noted that AI will still need to be tested to prove its skill.
“The AITCA is concerned that employers may be tempted to ignore the AICC’s training requirements in favour of relying on the assessment of a self-assessed assessment of an AI worker,” it said.
However, the AISC is not the only organisation advocating for the recognition.
Many AI workers are looking forward to the recognition, which would help ensure that AI is trained as an essential skill for the future workforce.
Australian Humanist Association (AIWA) president and co-founder Michael Burridge said the recognition will “help build a more inclusive, diverse and secure future”.
“We’re really excited that AI has been recognised as an Australian qualification for the skills it can contribute to our society,” he said.
A number of universities are considering applying for the AIA’s AI qualification, which will take place in 2020. “
[AI is] the future, we’re not going back.”
A number of universities are considering applying for the AIA’s AI qualification, which will take place in 2020.
As the AI industry matures, it is likely that many AI workers will choose to pursue other fields in the future.
According to a 2015 report by the Australian Institute of Management (AIIM), around 40 per cent of the workforce in AI will be “in some capacity in the next five years”.
There are currently around 1,300 AI-related jobs in Australia.
