According to industry leaders, the demand for generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) courses has increased around twofold in the last year as working individuals scramble to become proficient in the new technology.
According to leaders of edtech businesses like Upgrad, Great Learning, Simplilearn, and Coursera, professionals are driving this trend in order to protect themselves against layoffs and stay competitive in a rapidly changing employment market.
“As automation and artificial intelligence develop at a rapid pace, businesses are changing and there is a growing need for workers with expertise in AI-related fields. By becoming knowledgeable about generative AI, professionals are actively future-proofing their employment, according to Great Learning co-founder Hari Krishnan Nair. “We have seen a 33% increase in uptake for our generative AI component in our AI-ML (machine learning) programs over the last six months, and we have seen 2.6 times growth in the last four months for our programs that focus specifically on Gen AI.”
The chief operating officer of Simplilearn, Kashyap Dalal, stated that in the first quarter of 2024, demand for Gen AI courses in India surged by 195% year over year. “Through our various programs over the last year, we have seen over 300,000 professionals skilled in Gen AI,” he stated. “Gen AI is being quickly adopted by all businesses in a variety of domains, including data analysis, customer service, workflow and process automation, and content creation. Since most businesses have huge teams, workers in these fields must become knowledgeable about Gen AI in order to advance in their careers and remain relevant.
According to Mayank Kumar, co-founder of Upgrad, there has been a notable surge in demand for Gen AI courses in the last 12 months. “Information about the field of Gen AI is sought after by professionals in both tech and non-tech functions,” he stated. He continued, “Professionals with more than eight years of experience make up over 95% of our enrollment, reinforcing the need for ongoing learning.” Over 70,000 people have enrolled in free courses on data, ML/AI, and GenAI in just over a year, according to Kumar.
According to experts, the need for AI knowledge is rising as a result of the growing integration of AI into company operations.
According to a recent Amazon study, people with advanced AI skills may expect to make up to 47% more money.
Executives claim that in the last six to twelve months, there has been a noticeable surge in the number of female students using edtech platforms.
In the last year, women’s participation in AI/ML programs has climbed by 120%, while overall enrollment has expanded by 100%. This suggests that attitudes are changing and that continuous learning is becoming more accepted, according to Kumar of Upgrad.
“According to our internal data for all the courses pertaining to Gen AI, we have witnessed over 220% increase in women enrolments from 2022 to 2023,” continued Dalal of Simplilearn.
“Gen AI is a technology meant for people who are not just technologists and technical people,” stated Raghav Gupta, managing director of Coursera’s operations in India and Asia Pacific. It’s a versatile technology. It’s the biggest skill bump in terms of users joining Coursera that we have ever observed.
Dalal stated that software developers should prioritize learning about artificial intelligence. First off, it’s becoming into a necessary skill for developers to be productive. Software teams are shifting to a low-code, no-code approach in which software engineers build the code themselves using Gen AI tools, which speeds up the process and reduces bug risk. Second, he stated that “all product teams are innovating in this area to embed Gen AI into their software products because the future of applications is dependent on it.”
