By Megan Beck, Thomas H. Davenport & Barry Libert
Artificial intelligence is almost everywhere in the news today, and the drive to create and implement AI solutions is creating an enormous talent gap.
However, AI talent goes far beyond machine-learning PhDs. Equally important and less understood are the set of talent issues emerging around AI product development and engineering. Most firms have not filled these roles, and their AI projects are suffering as a result:
The AI engineer role
Most companies need engineers to help develop products and production applications, rather than a researcher to help push the boundaries of AI technique and technology. These engineering skills include creating technology architectures that scale, writing and deploying bulletproof software, and integrating AI capabilities with existing systems.
The AI data czar role
This is typically a position that is created over time through experience rather than filled by someone hired right out of school, although education in computer science or statistics can be very helpful. The role encompasses such capabilities as: knowing what data sources are useful to address an AI question or problem; being aware of how data is used in algorithms; assessing data quality; cleaning and treating data; having a focus on detail (and being a stickler for data quality); possessing the strength to push back at technical teams; and knowing the typical ways to transform data.
The business leader and AI translator roles
AI groups also need someone at the intersection of business strategy and AI methods. Such a person, usually a somewhat senior executive, is able to translate strategic objectives and business models into the types of AI that can advance them. The businessperson who fills this role does not need to become a programmer, know the best AI tools from vendors or delve into the nuances of neural networks versus logistic regression. He or she does, however, need to understand the basics of how different types of AI work, and the data sets that will be deployed with them.
Megan Beck is chief product and insights officer at Open Matters, where Barry Libert is chairman. Thomas H. Davenport is a professor at Babson College.
