Artificial Intelligence Programs Prepare Students for Today’s Workplace
It wasn’t that long ago that ChatGPT launched—late 2022, to be exact—taking the world by surprise with its ability to write prose and answer questions. But, by the first quarter of 2024, one in seven Canadian businesses were using or planned to use generative artificial intelligence. Despite concerns that the rapid advancement of tools like ChatGPT might erode creative fields like writing, music and art, AI has the potential to benefit every sector that relies on knowledge.
Opportunities in AI rapidly expanding
Twenty years ago, there were few opportunities to explore a career in artificial intelligence, but the technology has quickly advanced in the last decade. Between 2015 and 2019, there was a 270 per cent increase in the number of businesses implementing AI processes worldwide, using it to identify patterns and make predictions about economic trends, for example. The technology’s capabilities are wide-ranging: it can help teachers streamline their work by updating curriculums, recommending content and suggesting ways to bridge knowledge gaps for students. On the medical side, AI tools can help reduce burnout for medical professionals by helping with administrative tasks. Ontario doctors now use AI scribes to transcribe conversations between a doctor and a patient during an appointment, then apply any relevant information to the patient’s medical record.
In the business world, AI has transformed supply chain management by monitoring inventory quality and quantity, analyzing consumer demand and flagging any potential delays. It’s taken over customer service, with AI chatbots using natural language processing, or NLP, to provide responses to consumers’ needs. With technology this powerful, AI needs experts who understand how to use it ethically and harness its potential for positive change.
Artificial Intelligence programs to consider
Given the growing demand for experts, many Canadian colleges are now offering programs that teach AI skills that include data analysis, NLP and advanced programming. Most of these programs, like Seneca Polytechnic’s postgraduate certificate in AI, also offer practical, hands-on training in real-world work situations to help prepare students for employment right after they graduate. Examining ethics in AI is also a key component in most programs to help ensure the development of fair and transparent AI systems.
Students looking to advance the use of AI in health care can apply to the Michener Institute of Education’s two-year digital health and data analytics program, which trains students in the areas of digital health and virtual care. Graduates work with hospitals, governments and technology companies to improve patient outcomes. For those interested in using AI to lead businesses to success, the British Columbia Institute of Technology offers an artificial intelligence management option for its two-year diploma program in business information technology management.
Diverse job prospects available in AI
Graduates of AI programs have the opportunity to make an impact in a huge variety of jobs, like intelligence analysis and systems specialization, in a wide range of areas, like business and retail. There’s also an increasing demand for AI ethics specialists, as generative AI continues to learn and grow. On the technology side, the job potential is limitless for programmers, cloud application developers and machine learning specialists.
This story appeared in the 2025 edition of the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges. Order your copy here.
