AI Career Guide

Tech career guide
ADVICE FOR IT PROFESSIONALS ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATIONS
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APAC career guide on

artificial intelligence
The advantages of
working in AI ethics
and applied AI
How a machine
learning engineer
cut his teeth in AI
What it takes to
succeed in an AI role
AI creates 40,000
new roles at Accenture
Why the firm plans to
hire thousands of AI
experts as part of a
$3bn investment
Navigating AI:
Security red flags
to watch out for
A security research
lab founder advises
on the risks of AI
Artificial intelligence roles abound in the era

of digitisation. In this handbook, focused on AI
in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly
looks at AI ethics, how to make it as a machine
learning engineer, Accenture’s push for tech
A PUBLICATION FROM talent and cyber security research lab advice
computerweekly.com career guide 1
GIRAFCHIK/ADOBE
CAREER GUIDE ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

A t foodpanda, an online food and grocery delivery
platform with operations across Asia, artificial intel-
ligence (AI) is used by customer experience teams
to predict whether a delivery is likely to go wrong. Its
app developers also use AI to automatically recognise which app
functionalities are liked or disliked by customers.
Over at DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest bank, teams of AI tech-
nologists oversee more than 300 AI and machine learning (ML)
use cases – from sending 45 million hyper-personalised nudges
to customers each month, to alerting small businesses of credit
risks before problems emerge.
According to the recent AI digital skills survey commissioned by
Salesforce, 72% of workers in Singapore are excited about the pros-
pect of using generative AI for their job, while 98% say they want
firms to prioritise AI skills in their employee development strategy.
AI and machine learning

The increased interest in AI has driven a steady growth in AI
careers in recent years, with AI and machine learning special-
ists topping the list of fast-growing jobs in 2023, according to the
World Economic Forum.
“Working in AI is one of the most desirable career paths in the
tech industry today,” says Ozzy Johnson, director of solutions
engineering at Nvidia, noting that AI development is the founda-
The multidisciplinary nature of artificial
FLASH CONCEPT/ADOBE
tion for accelerated computing, computer vision, speech analysis,

intelligence offers career opportunities in natural language processing, and more.
AI ethics and applied AI. Aaron Tan reports “The industry around AI is exploding with career opportunities,
yet a major obstacle for the industry is that there are too many
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artificial intelligence jobs and too few qualified candidates. What this means is that joiners have in common is that they are excited about data and
The advantages of anyone who is willing and able to develop AI skills, and take on what we can learn from it. They are true detectives at heart.”
the necessary training and education, is likely to become one of Andrew Sklar, director of training and certification in Asia-Pacific
and applied AI
the most sought-after employees in the field of tech. This demand and Japan at Amazon Web Services (AWS), notes that while there
equates to high salaries, benefits and job security throughout the are multiple AI career options available today, the AI space is
How a machine
learning engineer usual ups and downs of the tech industry.” evolving almost daily, with roles such as prompt engineers being
cut his teeth in AI According to a global survey by Deloitte, 68% of executives a new career opportunity that didn’t even exist 12 months ago.
What it takes to
reported a moderate to extreme skills gap, while over a quarter “AI roles are also constantly evolving to keep pace with the devel-
rated their skills gap as major or extreme. AI builders and engi- opment of the technology. What we know of AI careers today may
AI creates 40,000
neers were the most sought-after, look vastly different tomorrow as AI
new roles at Accenture followed by “AI translators” such as goes mainstream,” he says.
Why the firm plans to business leaders who can trans- This is already happening with the
experts as part of a late business needs into AI sys- “W hat we know of AI careers hype around ChatGPT and other
$3bn investment tem requirements, as well as user large language models, which has
experience designers.
today may look vastly different put ethical considerations surround-
Navigating AI:
Security red flags
Indeed, the multidisciplinary tomorrow as AI goes mainstream ” ing their use to the fore, paving the
nature of AI today also means way for emerging roles in AI ethics.
to watch out for
A security research there’s not just one career in AI,
A ndrew S klar, Amazon W eb S ervices Petri Tuomola, head of data
lab founder advises but increasingly more diversi- platform at DBS Bank, says in an
on the risks of AI
fied roles depending on the con- ever-evolving AI landscape, AI
text one is working in, according to Sebastian Rodriguez, ethicists will play a crucial role in ensuring that AI technologies
chief technology officer at foodpanda. are developed and deployed responsibly, considering ethical
“The field is fast evolving and different specialisations are implications and fostering trust.
already emerging,” says Rodriguez. “At foodpanda, we see our
AI experts mostly coming from technical and mathematical fields. What an AI career looks like
They often come from a computer science background, but many AI builders and engineers are at the core of many AI initiatives
also join laterally from fields such as psychology, sociology, as they build tools across the entire AI stack. For example, those
or other fields that have a quantitative tradition. What our new in AI roles at AWS are charged with designing machine learning

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artificial intelligence (ML) algorithms and systems, improving the performance of deep
The advantages of learning models, and working with customers to train and deploy
ML models in the cloud and on edge devices at scale.
and applied AI
AI careers can also involve building and administering big data
for ML models, assessing complicated datasets to recognise
How a machine
learning engineer business trends, and developing and refining prompts for gen-
cut his teeth in AI erative AI services. “The need for integrity in data, robust security
What it takes to
and a discipline built on engineering fundamentals will grow in
importance as the use of AI accelerates,” says Sklar. “At AWS,
AI creates 40,000
our training offerings are uniquely equipped to support individuals
new roles at Accenture seeking a career in this fascinating space.”
experts as part of a Examples of AI careers AI builders
and engineers
$3bn investment Some examples of AI careers, as pointed out by Sklar, include:
are at the
n S oftware development engineers – who design, develop,
core of many
Navigating AI: test and deploy distributed machine learning systems and AI initiatives
Security red flags
to watch out for
large-scale solutions for users.
A security research n A pplied scientists – who work on systematic approaches to
lab founder advises improve the performance of deep learning models.
on the risks of AI
n D
ata scientists – who straddle the business and technical
worlds with deep data analysis to achieve specific outcomes.
IMAGES: FLASH CONCEPT/ADOBE

In the field of ML, they design and build models from data, cre-
ate and work on algorithms, and train models.
n A I engineers – who develop the tools, systems and processes
that enable AI models to be applied in the real world.
n A I ethicists – who advise on ethical AI practices and guard
against bias, unintended consequences, and ensure account-
ability within the organisation.

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artificial intelligence n P
rompt engineers – who develop text-based prompts to refine n P
roficiency in programming languages like Python, enabling
The advantages of the responses of AI models. them to implement AI algorithms effectively.
n P
roduct managers – who design and launch new AI prod- n E xpertise in ML frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch,
and applied AI
ucts and services to market and provide AI advisory and empowering them to build advanced AI models and systems.
go-to-market advice, from use and business case develop- n S trong problem-solving abilities and analytical skills to join
How a machine
learning engineer ment through to AI ethics, including the responsible use of AI. the dots in tackling complex challenges and devise innova-
cut his teeth in AI tive solutions, while taking a customer-centric lens.
What it takes to
S kills and certifications n I n-depth knowledge of data structures and algorithms, which
Gavin Barfield, vice-president and chief technology officer of solu- form the backbone of efficient AI implementations
AI creates 40,000
tions at Salesforce ASEAN, notes that with AI teams being increas- While each of the above skills is valuable, Tuomola believes an
new roles at Accenture ingly cross-functional due to the growing number of AI applications, understanding of AI and ML algorithms, and having the software
Why the firm plans to there are opportunities for engineers engineering skills to apply them
experts as part of a to deliver business value from AI by effectively, are paramount.
$3bn investment solving real problems and driving T o thrive as an AI engineer , “Algorithms serve as the founda-
results for customers. tion of AI models and systems, and
Navigating AI: To do so, they will not only need a solid educational a profound understanding of them is
Security red flags
technical skills in areas like data essential for designing cutting-edge
to watch out for
A security research science, machine learning, neural
foundation combined with solutions that best fit our business
lab founder advises networks and prompt engineering, needs,” he says.
on the risks of AI a diverse skillset is crucial
they should also develop industry “At the same time, productionising
skills and knowledge so they can such models requires the applica-
collaborate more closely with the business and customers to tion of good software engineering practices, to ensure the system
identify use cases where AI can add real value. meets its requirements for scalability, performance, availability
To thrive as an AI engineer, DBS’s Tuomola says a solid educa- and maintainability. Bringing these skills together empowers AI
tional foundation combined with a diverse skillset is crucial. engineers to develop innovative approaches, optimise perfor-
Typically, AI engineers have a degree in computer science, soft- mance and unlock the full potential of AI technologies.”
ware engineering, or a related field. In addition, they would need Besides technical skills, it is also key for AI engineers to have
the following skills: critical thinking and problem-solving skills, business acumen, as

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artificial intelligence well as interpersonal skills such as communication and collabora- Nvidia, whose GPUs are frequently used to crunch AI workloads,
The advantages of tion, says AWS’s Sklar. has training programmes to meet the needs of data scientists,
This will enable them to look at multiple variables to determine application builders, creators, technical artists, researchers and
and applied AI
the best course of action, and work with internal stakeholders IT administrators, covering the skills needed to architect, build,
and project teams quickly to support their organisation’s business deploy, operate and support AI-based solutions and platforms.
How a machine
learning engineer goals, he adds. But how important are certifications in one’s AI career?
cut his teeth in AI Those who are looking to courses to kickstart their AI careers Salesforce’s Barfield contends that AI professionals should focus
What it takes to
can turn to online materials and courses, such as Stanford on the proficiencies they’ve gained through certifications, rather
University’s ML course on Coursera and the AI programme by than the certification itself. “Gaining industry knowledge is also
AI creates 40,000
the University of Helsinki. important, as it helps AI professionals better contextualise and
new roles at Accenture Most cutting-edge research in AI/ML is also published for free understand the real-world applications and benefits of AI,” he adds.
Why the firm plans to in arXiv.org, an open-access repository, making it easy to keep Tuomola notes that certifications should not be seen as a sub-
experts as part of a up to date with the latest research trends. To learn practical skills stitute for practical experience. Instead, real-world experience –
$3bn investment and to test your skills against other AI engineers, Tuomola recom- working on challenging projects and solving complex business
mends trying out competitions at Kaggle, an online community for problems – is the most valuable asset one can possess in the
Navigating AI: AI practitioners. field of AI. “While certifications provide a foundation and enhance
Security red flags
your skills, it is your ability to innovate, think critically, and apply
Engineering courses
to watch out for
A security research your knowledge in practical settings that sets you apart.”
lab founder advises There are also AI/ML engineering courses provided by different
on the risks of AI
cloud providers. AWS, for example, offers over 70 free digital Making AI consumable
training courses covering AWS ML services and solutions, with With AI capabilities increasingly being democratised through
content ranging from foundational topics such as ML essentials cloud services, the AI skills in greatest demand may not neces-
for business and technical decision-makers, to advanced topics sarily be technical in nature, contends Allan Waddell, co-CEO of
such as building ML applications. Kablamo, an Australian technology services firm.
Budding AI professionals can also consider AWS’s ML Learning “When you think of careers in AI, you probably want to think
Plan designed to help AI engineers integrate AI and ML into tools less about coding, AI research, data science and engineering,
and applications and prepare for the AWS Certified Machine and more about consumption,” says Waddell, who has a comput-
Learning – Specialty certification examination. ing degree. “If I was doing my degree again, and doing AI, I’d be

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artificial intelligence thinking double degrees in law and ethics. I’d be really resistant On future-proofing one’s AI career, Waddell does not think it’s
The advantages of to going into a siloed AI degree – I’d maybe do a post-grad in it.” about future-proofing the current roles in AI, especially those that
are highly specific and technical in nature. “It’s about how you
Harnessing AI technology
and applied AI
stay general enough so you can pivot. You don’t want to get so
And he explains why: “There won’t be a huge need for AI technol- specific now that there’s no way to get out.”
How a machine
learning engineer ogy specialists, but there will be a big need for harnessing how it “Currently, AI is basically just another opinion, a probability
cut his teeth in AI is applied. There are going to be very few people working on the engine generating an outcome. Gross replacement of careers
What it takes to
optimisation of AI, especially when AI starts doing this optimisa- isn’t happening yet and probably won’t for a while – we’re in a
tion itself, so I’d be looking at the application of AI. hype cycle around what AI is imminently capable of.
AI creates 40,000
“I’d be looking at digital product development using AI, mak- “Think of self-driving cars and all the money that’s been poured
new roles at Accenture ing the complex simple. Consumption of AI is what matters now. into that – there’s an almost infinite number of edge cases you
Why the firm plans to How do you make AI consumable to your customers? It might have to train for, and we are still far from getting it right. The
experts as part of a be that user experience might be more important now than any- biggest risk around AI – and any specific careers in it – is the
$3bn investment thing else – build the bridge from generative AI to what a busi- threat of premature regulation that stifles its growth and limits
ness actually needs.” our options.” n
Navigating AI:
Security red flags
to watch out for
A security research
lab founder advises © 2023 TechTarget Inc. No part of this publication may be transmitted or
on the risks of AI reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from the
publisher. TechTarget reprints are available through The YGS Group.
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How a machine learning engineer

The advantages of
and applied AI
cut his teeth in artificial intelligence
How a machine
learning engineer Machine learning engineer Saurabh Agarwal talks up his career journey in artificial
cut his teeth in AI intelligence and what it takes for one to succeed in the field. Pratima Harigunani reports
What it takes to
AI creates 40,000
$3bn investment
A t 8am, Saurabh Agarwal can be found flipping through the
pages of some latest artificial intelligence (AI) research
paper over coffee to keep pace with the dynamic field.
Agarwal, a machine learning (ML) engineer at MavQ, an
India-based AI platform company, has seen AI developments
“The sheer joy of seeing what data can do is exciting. In the previ-
ous IT boom, we had a faint idea of what’s possible, but back then
data was limited. Today, the exponential jump in data consumption
has made models easy and resource-friendly,” says Agarwal.
“In the next five years, I see a lot of scope for MLOps [machine
unfolding since the day he dipped his toes into the technology. learning operations] and model productisation. It is very reward-
Navigating AI: A computer science graduate from Jaipur in North India, Agarwal ing to be involved in scaling models at my company, and also
Security red flags
to watch out for
started fiddling with the power of data during a full-time internship in making sure that they are not bulky or expensive. Keeping a good
A security research data engineering and cloud. He soon found himself cutting his teeth tab on costs and competitive edge makes this job thrilling every
lab founder advises deeper into data analytics and building data pipelines for ML models. day,” he adds.
on the risks of AI
Under the guidance of mentors such as Gaurav Kheterpal, a
Salesforce trailblazer, Mulesoft specialist and multicloud expert, Lucrative career
and with the support of AI communities, Agarwal cemented his grip Machine learning can be a lucrative career in India. According to
in ML modelling. For over two years, he learnt how to develop ML Agarwal, an average ML engineer’s salary package can range
models from scratch and, later, got the hang of deploying them. from Rs. 15-20 lakhs (US$18,000-24,000) per annum, with higher
Besides scaling models, he also handles models for converting level domains commanding Rs. 60-70 lakhs per annum as one
paper documents into digital formats while working on deep learn- gets more proficient.
ing. Alongside his work, he is finishing an executive course in AI Besides MLOps, which involves productisation and optimisation
and ML from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. of ML models, applied ML and advanced modelling are other hot

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The advantages of Saurabh Agarwal: “As models and deep learning get
better, we will find AI working to our advantage.”
and applied AI
PUTILOV_DENIS/ADOBE
How a machine
learning engineer
cut his teeth in AI
What it takes to
AI creates 40,000
experts as part of a domains. But those who are clear and sharp about their specific vis-a-vis the top crust in the industry. Right now, we are either on
$3bn investment domain will do the most, according to Agarwal. par or better than the big names,” he says.
“Anyone with a good command of software engineering will find Agarwal is confident that AI will only amplify data’s potential for
Navigating AI: it easy to get in. One has to be comfortable and cognisant about business in the future. “As models and deep learning get better,
Security red flags
to watch out for
data – that’s the basic trait. Before you get into ML modelling, an we will find AI working to our advantage. For that, scaling and
A security research appreciation and a knack for how data affects business is para- executing models while confronting the ‘black box’ problem would
lab founder advises mount in this profession,” he says. be crucial,” he adds, referring to the challenge of understanding
on the risks of AI
how decisions are made by some complex AI models.
Explainability and the ethics of modelling Agarwal usually wraps up his day with a jog or a badminton
He also points out the importance of explainability and the ethics match. On the track, he knows when to sprint and pause, some-
of modelling: “One has to be able to ask, ‘Why is this model telling thing that comes naturally to a good AI professional.
us this?’ and be aware of its implications.” His advice to ML and AI aspirants is twofold: choose your domain
Agarwal spends most of his day leading a team of 15 to 20 well and have an innate love for data. “AI is very vast. Understand
people to productise ML models. He is also involved in bench- your own domain. Do not hype it or dismiss it. It will not take away
marking of models against the top ones in the industry. “We have all jobs. The calculator never did. We need to adapt to AI and
to constantly check how accurate, how good and how fast we are make it augment us. It’s that simple,” he says. n

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AI creates 40,000 new roles at Accenture

The advantages of
and applied AI
Accenture plans to hire thousands of AI experts as part of a $3bn investment. Karl Flinders reports
A
How a machine
learning engineer
cut his teeth in AI ccenture will invest $3bn over three years in its data Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said: “Companies that build a
What it takes to
and artificial intelligence (AI) practice, which will include strong foundation of AI by adopting and scaling it now, where
adding 40,000 AI experts to the workforce, making acqui- the technology is mature and delivers clear value, will be better
AI creates 40,000
sitions and training existing staff. positioned to reinvent, compete and achieve new levels of per-
new roles at Accenture AI-skilled staff will be added through hiring, training and acquisi- formance. Our clients have complex environments, and at a time
Why the firm plans to tion, said Accenture. when the technology is changing rapidly, our deep understanding
experts as part of a The IT services giant said it would use the data and AI prac- of ecosystem solutions allows us to help them navigate quickly
$3bn investment tice to develop services for 19 specific industry sectors based on and cost-effectively to make smart decisions.”
AI to take advantage of what it described as the generative AI
Navigating AI: “megatrend” in its recent technology vision report. Company-wide team
Security red flags
to watch out for
Following the $3bn investment announcement, Paul Daugherty, Accenture has already established a company-wide team, the gen-
A security research group chief executive at Accenture Technology, said: “Over the erative AI and large language model (LLM) center of excellence.
lab founder advises next decade, AI will be a megatrend, transforming industries, It has also published its A new era of generative AI for everyone
on the risks of AI
companies, and the way we live and work, as generative AI trans- study, advising firms on the use of the technology.
forms 40% of all working hours. In March, when announcing its annual tech vision, Accenture
“Our expanded data and AI practice brings together the full said the distance between digital and physical worlds would
power and breadth of Accenture in creating industry-specific solu- “collapse” over the next 10 years, with the adoption of generative
tions that will help our clients harness AI’s full potential to reshape AI accelerating change. A study of nearly 5,000 senior execu-
their strategy, technology and ways of working, driving innovation tives across the globe, which was part of Accenture’s tech vision
and value responsibly and faster than ever before.” report, When atoms meet bits: The foundations of our new reality,
As part of the investment, Accenture said it would double its AI revealed 96% believe the convergence of the digital and physical
talent pool to 80,000. worlds will transform business in the next 10 years. n

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Navigating artificial intelligence:

The advantages of
and applied AI
Security red flags to watch out for
How a machine
learning engineer Lou Steinberg, founder of cyber security research lab CTM Insights, speaks to Pratima Harigunani
cut his teeth in AI about the risks of artificial intelligence, and what organisations can do to tame the technology
What it takes to
AI creates 40,000
$3bn investment
L ou Steinberg, founder and managing partner of CTM
Insights, a cyber security research lab and incubator,
doesn’t watch movies about artificial intelligence (AI)
because he believes what he sees in real life is enough.
Steinberg has also worn other hats, including a six-year tenure
What would you say are the top three
things we should really be worried
about right now when it comes to AI?
Steinberg: My short- to medium-term concerns with AI are in
three main areas.
as chief technology officer of TD Ameritrade, where he was First of all, AI- and machine learning-powered chatbots and
Navigating AI: responsible for technology innovation, platform architecture, decision support tools will return inaccurate results that are mis-
Security red flags
to watch out for
engineering, operations, risk management and cyber security. construed as accurate, as they used untrustworthy training data
A security research He has worked with US government officials on cyber issues and lack traceability.
lab founder advises as well. Recently, after a White House meeting with tech leaders Second, the lack of traceability means we don’t know why AI
on the risks of AI
about AI, Steinberg spoke about the benefits and downsides of gives the answers it gives – though Google is taking an interest-
having AI provide advice and complete tasks. ing approach by providing links to supporting documentation that
Firms with agendas might try to skew training data to get people a user can assess for credibility.
to buy their cars, stay in their hotels, or eat at their restaurants. Third, attempts to slow the progress of AI, while well meaning,
Hackers may also change training data to advise people to buy will slow the pace of innovation in Western nations while coun-
stocks that are being sold at inflated prices. They may even teach tries like China will continue to advance.
AI to write software with built-in security issues, he contended. While there have been examples of internationally respected
In an interview with Computer Weekly, Steinberg drilled down into bans on research, such as human cloning, AI advancement is not
these red flags and how organisations can mitigate the risks of AI. likely to be slowed globally.

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The advantages of
and applied AI
GORODENKOFF/ADOBE
How a machine
learning engineer
cut his teeth in AI
What it takes to
AI creates 40,000
experts as part of a How soon can bad actors jail-break AI, rather see a chain of steps that led to a decision. Transparency
$3bn investment and what would that mean for society? and traceability are key.
People have already gotten past guardrails built into tools like
Navigating AI: ChatGPT through prompt engineering. For example, a chatbot Who can exploit AI the most?
Security red flags
to watch out for
might refuse to generate code that is obviously malware but will Governments? big tech? Hackers?
A security research happily create one function at a time that can be combined to cre- All of the above can and will exploit AI to analyse data, support
lab founder advises ate malware. decision-making and synthesise new outputs. Exploiting AI comes
on the risks of AI
Jail-breaking of AI is already happening today, and will continue down to whether the use cases will be good or bad for society.
as both the guardrails and attacks gain in sophistication. The abil- If made by a tech company, it will be to gain commercial advan-
ity to attack poorly protected training data and bias the outcome is tage, ranging from selling you products to detecting fraud to per-
an even larger concern. Combined with the lack of traceability, we sonalising medicine and medical diagnoses. Businesses will also
have a system without feedback loops to self-correct. tap cost savings by replacing humans with AI, whether to write
movie scripts, drive a delivery truck, develop software, or board
When will we get past the black box problem of AI? an airplane by using facial recognition as a boarding pass.
Great question. As I said, Google appears to be trying to reinforce Many hackers are also profit-seeking, and will try to steal money
answers with pointers to supporting data. That helps, though I would by guessing bank account passwords or replicating a person’s

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artificial intelligence voice and likeness to scam others. Just look at recent examples
The advantages of of realistic, synthesised voices being used to trick people into
believing a loved one has been kidnapped.
and applied AI
While autonomous killer robots from science fiction are cer-
tainly a concern with some nation states and terrorist groups,
How a machine
learning engineer governments and some companies sit on huge amounts of data
cut his teeth in AI that would benefit from improved pattern detection. Expect gov-
What it takes to
ernments to analyse and interpret data to better manage every-
thing from public health to air traffic congestion. AI will also allow
AI creates 40,000
personalised decision-making at scale, where agencies like the
new roles at Accenture US Internal Revenue Service will look for fraud while authoritar-
Why the firm plans to ian governments will increase their ability to do surveillance.
$3bn investment What advice would you give to AI developers? As an
incubator, does CTM Insights have any special lens here?
Navigating AI: There are so many dimensions of protection needed. Training
Security red flags
to watch out for
data must be curated and protected from malicious tampering.
A security research The ability to synthetically recreate a real person’s voice and like-
lab founder advises ness will cause fraud and reputational damage to skyrocket. We
on the risks of AI
need to solve this problem before we can no longer trust what we
see or hear, like fake phone calls, fake videos of people appear-
ing to commit crimes and fake investor conferences.
Similarly, the ability to realistically edit images and evade
GORODENKOFF/ADOBE
detection will create cases where even real images, like your
medical scans, are untrustworthy. CTM has technology to iso-
late untrustworthy portions of data and images, without requir-
ing everything to be thrown out. We are working on a new way
to detect synthetic deepfakes.

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artificial intelligence Is synthetic data a good thing or a bad If you were to create an algorithm
The advantages of thing if we want to create safer AI? that’s water-tight on security, what
broad areas would you be careful about?
Synthetic data is mostly a good thing, and we can use it to help
and applied AI
create curated training data. The challenge is that attackers can The system would have traceability built in from the start. The
do the same thing. inputs would be carefully curated and protected. The outputs
How a machine
learning engineer would be signed and have authorised use built in. Today, we
cut his teeth in AI Will singularity and artificial general focus way too much on identity and authentication of people and
What it takes to
intelligence be a utopia or a dystopia? not enough on whether those people authorised things.
I’m an optimist. While most major technology advances can be
used to do harm, AI has the ability to eliminate a huge amount of
AI creates 40,000
new roles at Accenture work done by people but still create the value of that work. If the “If the benefits [of AI]
Why the firm plans to benefits are shared across society, and not concentrated, society
experts as part of a will gain broadly. are shared across society,
For example, one of the most common jobs in the US is driving
and not concentrated,
$3bn investment
a delivery truck. If autonomous vehicles replace those jobs, soci-

Navigating AI: ety still gets the benefit of having things delivered. society will gain broadly”
Security red flags
If all that does is raise profit margins at delivery companies,
to watch out for
A security research then that will be deeply impactful to laid-off drivers. But if some
Lou Steinberg, CTM Insights
lab founder advises of the benefit is used to help those ex-drivers do something else
on the risks of AI
like construction, then society benefits by getting new buildings. Have you seen evidence of AI-driven or assisted attacks?
Yes, deepfake videos exist of Elon Musk and others for financial
Data poisoning, adversarial AI, scams, as well as Ukraine’s President Zelensky telling his troops
co-evolution of good guys and bad to surrender in disinformation campaigns.
guys – how serious are these issues now? Synthesised voices of real people have been used in fake kid-
Co-evolution of AI and adversarial AI have already started. There napping scams, and fake CEO voices on phone calls have asked
is debate as to the level of data poisoning out there today as many employees to transfer money to a fraudster’s account. AI is also
attacks aren’t made public. I’d say they are all in their infancy. I’m being used by attackers to exploit vulnerabilities to breach net-
worried about what happens when they grow up. works and systems. n

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Tech career guide

ADVICE FOR IT PROFESSIONALS ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND CERTIFICATIONS

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Artificial intelligence roles abound in the era

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AI and machine learning

tion for accelerated computing, computer vision, speech analysis,

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IMAGES: FLASH CONCEPT/ADOBE

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How a machine learning engineer

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AI creates 40,000 new roles at Accenture

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Navigating artificial intelligence:

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a delivery truck. If autonomous vehicles replace those jobs, soci-

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