7 months ago
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As a business columnist, it is necessary to tackle tough issues head-on, even when others would prefer to avoid, downplay, or create diversions from them. It also takes courage to spark difficult conversations, especially when it places you directly in the cross-hairs of those who opt to attack the messenger rather than confront messages that hit the mark.
Case in point, my recent column titled “Entrepreneurial Ingenuity Needed to Combat Looming BPO Crisis” ignited intense discussion about generative AI’s impending revolutionary impact on the socioeconomic fabric of Jamaica.
The feedback was tremendous and mixed, as expected. The reactions ranged from appreciation and anxiety to denial, anger, and even combativeness.
One issue that transcended debate is that the Jamaican workforce is unprepared to navigate the winds of generative AI change. Productivity remains our Achilles heel, as well as technical and soft skills, and our attitudes to work. A check of government websites, including the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, returned no results for relevant generative AI resources for the workforce in the areas of training, policies, upcoming initiatives, risks or mitigation strategies, or coordinated national approach.
Here are a few of the emails and direct social media messages I received from The Gleaner readers and listeners to RJR’s ‘ Beyond The Headlines’, where I was among invited guests sharing my views on generative AI and the likely impact on the BPO and other local sectors, last week:
“I believe my job will be affected, it’s a matter of when … what should I be doing?”
“Yaneek, people must be reaching out to you for advice on AI training or preparing for the AI apocalypse. It’s me! I’m people, help!”
“Looking even at Google’s latest Gemini, and its capabilities. People really need to start learning and adapting.”
“I heard the last few seconds of the Dionne Jackson-Miller interview. Is AI a real threat to Jamaica workforce?”
Leveraging generative AI
We should all be in career-evaluation mode, contemplating how we position ourselves to lead or maximise career transformation in this age. Knowledge acquisition must be the starting point. We’ll all be affected. Some directly, others indirectly, some sooner than later, some jobs will be eliminated, others radically transformed, according to the most recent projections from the World Economic Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, global consulting firms and others.
This includes call-centre workers and owners, CEOs, managers, entrepreneurs, journalists, translators, business coaches/trainers, artists and creatives, security experts, administrators, lawyers, barbers, engineers, doctors, politicians, nurses, factory workers, teachers and influencers. And the list goes on.
Here are some of the free courses online, with information included on the learning hours required as well as whether a credit card is needed to access a free trial because fewer than 40 per cent of Jamaicans have one.
1. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
• Platform: AWS (offered by Amazon)
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Hours required: 1-3 weekly
• Credit card required: No
• Certification track: Yes, with a paid option for certification
• Details: Covers the basics of machine learning and AI development. Good for beginners.
2. Introduction to Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)
• Platform: Coursera (offered by DeepLearning.AI)
• Duration: 4 weeks
• Hours required: 3-4 weekly
• Credit card required: No
• Certification track: Yes, with a paid option for certification
• Details: Covers the basics of GANs, including the architecture of GANs, training procedures, and applications. It is suitable for beginners with a basic understanding of deep learning.
3. Creative Applications of Deep Learning with TensorFlow
• Platform: Kadenze
• Duration: 12 sessions
• Hours required: 6-10 hours per session
• Credit card required: Yes
• Certification track: Yes, with Kadenze+ membership
• Details: Course explores generative art, covering generative models, and interactive AI art.
• Certification worth: Useful for roles in AI-driven creative industries, digital art, and interactive media.
4. Practical Deep Learning for Coders
• Platform: Fast.ai
• Duration: 7 weeks
• Hours required: 10 hours weekly
• Credit card required: No
• Certification track: None
• Details: Course teaches practical implementation of deep learning models, including generative models, using PyTorch.
• Certification worth: Experience from this course is highly regarded in the job market due to its practical approach and the strong Fast.ai community.
5. Generative AI with Python and TensorFlow
• Platform: edX (offered by Harvard University)
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Hours required: 2-3 hours weekly
• Credit card required: No
• Certification track: Yes
• Details: Provides an introduction to generative AI concepts, with a focus on implementing GANs and other generative models
• Certification worth: Recognised for positions in AI research, data science, and software engineering.
6. Generative Deep Learning
• Platform: Udacity
• Duration: 3 months
• Hours required: 10 hours weekly
• Credit card required: No
• Certification track: Yes, with the Nanodegree program
• Details: Covers various generative models, including GANs, VAEs & autoregressive models, with hands-on projects.
• Certification worth: Highly valued in the tech industry.
The goal of training is knowledge acquisition and workforce competitiveness to master this era, irrespective of your career path. If you choose to go further and explore certifications, then platforms such as edX, Coursera, Fast.ai Experience and Kadenze are widely recognised as reputable and practical.
For example, some edX certificates are issued by top universities, like Harvard. However, it is important to explore options from non-universities, particularly those that are the driving force in generative AI advancement.
One love!
Yaneek Page is the programme lead for Market Entry USA, and a certified trainer in entrepreneurship.yaneek.page@gmail.com
English (US) ·