Want to work in AI? You’ll need these 6 skills.

I’m a firm believer that artificial intelligence (AI) is the most transformational technology in the world today.

Working in AI at Accenture is much beyond integrating data from multiple sources and offering AI solutions to businesses. We are a team of AI professionals from strategy and consulting through implementation, driving data-led transformation for businesses around the world.

As a leader in AI at Accenture for the past seven years, I have seen data and AI drive real change—in business and society.

It’s a great place to be if you want to transform the world—and your career.

Transformation at scale and speed

I joined Accenture in 2013 after almost 15 years in the industry. I knew that AI was going to be the future for all industries and functions around the globe, but I couldn’t have foreseen the speed and scale of the transformation.

To truly unlock the full potential of data and AI, you need to look at it as a differentiator that adds value to businesses’ bottom line.

Our unique combination of industry expertise and access to leading-edge technology means Accenture is best positioned to provide real enterprise-to-enterprise (E2E) AI solutions.

For example, with the power of data and AI, we helped a huge, complex organization in Brazil optimize costs, without impacting their overall customer experience. We worked with a government agency in a Middle Eastern country to help address issues like women’s access to higher education and employment, as well as overall subsidies realignment.

The work we’re doing is making a difference, for business and for communities around the world. 

Leading and growing with AI

I’ve spent some of the most exciting years of my career at Accenture. I spend my days interacting with my clients, collaborating and guiding my team, and engaging in recruiting new talent and exploring new technologies and solutions to stay ahead of whatever is next in the ever-changing world of technology.

How do you stay ahead the ever-evolving world of technology? Six skills are critical.

6 skills for building a career in AI

If you are planning to build a career in this exciting field, here are six skills you need:

• Mathematical skills: Knowledge of mathematical and statistical concepts like calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, matrix, complex numbers, linear and higher-order regression, logistic regression and numerical analysis are a must for understanding AI.
  
  
• Computing skills: These are the essential skills needed to make use of a computer technology—knowledge of hardware, software, operating systems and basic programming logic. In order to excel as an AI practitioner, you must know programming languages such as Java, C++, Python, and R for building and implementing models as well as writing algorithms to develop applications and software.
  
  
• Business skills: You will need to understand organizational behavior and work in a corporate environment. Business skills such as problem-solving, negotiation, marketing, leadership, communication and team management can help you climb the management ladder.
  
  
• Flair for innovation: You must have an inquisitive mind with the ability to think outside the box. Be eager to explore new ways and ideas to deal with business problems and come up with innovative solutions.
  
  
• Developer skills: Technical capabilities are needed to create business solutions and applications. You must be good with logic and critical thinking for writing algorithms and developing back-end coding.
  
  
• Responsible AI: Staying relevant with the best practices and sustainability guidelines for designing, developing and deploying AI is a must. The intent to scale AI should be for the betterment of business, clients and society for building trust and confidence in this emerging field.

A global engine for AI growth

AI is going to shape the future in ways we cannot even imagine today, around the globe and especially in my home country of India.

It can transform businesses, help policymakers resolve socioeconomic challenges efficiently and effectively, trigger rapid digitalization to achieve higher productivity, enable the health care industry to evolve at scale and speed—and so much more.  

And we need people to help guide the world through this change. We’re looking for cloud data engineers, data scientists, machine-learning engineers, AI enthusiasts and more.

Join us and help transform the future with the power of AI.