An A.I. engineer writes ruthless prompts for AI chatbots and generates the most fantastic AI content imaginable! Right? No, wrong.
I encounter it regularly: there is a lot of confusion about what experts in the field of AI actually do. We certainly are not all ChatGPT experts. A chef is obviously a lover of good food, but that does not make them an expert in every cuisine.
Time to correct some of those misconceptions:
1️⃣ We do not just use the tools, we create the toolbox: We are not only at the end of the chain as experts in applying AI tools (ChatGPT, ...). We are architects who develop an A.I. model from the ground up. Our expertise lies in 'creating' A.I. tools that people can use in practice.
2️⃣ We are not entertainers: It is great that the media embrace popular topics such as A.I., and stage shows such as Lieven Scheire's about A.I. help make the subject accessible to a wider audience. It is a light introduction, but only shows the tip of the iceberg. It can sometimes make it seem as though the most fantastic AI tools are created miraculously and effortlessly, while in reality they are often preceded by a complex, months-long process of research and optimisation by entire teams of experts.
3️⃣ We are not wizards: Although the idea of artificial intelligence that can think for itself occasionally appears in the media, reality is very different. Our work is based on applying algorithms that can analyse data and recognise patterns. These systems simulate aspects of human intelligence, such as problem-solving ability, but they do so based on statistical models and programmed instructions. They are designed to assist us and augment our capabilities, not to be independent beings with thoughts or feelings of their own.
4️⃣ We are not specialists in every area of A.I.: Artificial intelligence is an enormously broad field that covers many subdisciplines. Just as in the world of IT, A.I. professionals often have deep expertise in a particular segment: object classification, speech recognition, ...
5️⃣ We are not experts in every AI tool: Although we often have extensive knowledge of various AI tools and follow them with interest, these tools are not the core of our work. That does not mean existing AI tools, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), cannot support and simplify our work.
