What Does AI Stand For?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

AI stands for artificial intelligence. It’s a growing field, and AI professionals are in demand. Discover more about AI and what the future looks like.

[Featured Image] An AI professional sits outdoors, working on a laptop.

AI aims to replicate and ultimately surpass human capabilities. It is a diverse field that spans various disciplines, including computer science, statistics, data analytics, and software engineering. Organizations often adopt AI to automate processes or tasks traditionally handled by humans. Discover how AI works, the career opportunities it offers, and how to begin your journey in this field.

What does AI stand for?

AI stands for artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, such as computer systems. AI powers many technology-driven industries, such as health care, finance, transportation, and much more.

AI facts: How does AI work?

At the heart of AI are algorithms. Humans set up algorithms in a computerized system. Algorithms are clear sets of instructions that the computer should follow to solve a problem or complete a task. When algorithms receive input and process data, they learn patterns and characteristics that help them make more intelligent decisions over time.

AI uses different technologies to carry out these and many other tasks, such as speech recognition, word translation, maps and navigation, image search, and more. These technologies include machine learning, deep learning, neural networks, natural language processing, computer vision, and cognitive computing. 

An AI example: Autocorrect

One example of how AI works is the autocorrect feature that you probably use on your smartphone when typing a text. If you type an “i” but meant to type a letter near it, such as “o” to write the word “cold,” your phone would access its dictionaries and likely autocorrect “cild” to “cold.”

 

Over time, your phone will learn the words you type most often and auto-suggest them for you, including names of family and friends or company jargon you often use. If it suggests a word you’re not looking for, the AI learns and becomes more accurate in future suggestions.

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What exactly does AI do?

AI helps design machines that will perform human-like tasks. Some common uses you may be familiar with include self-driving cars, chatbots, e-payments, smartphone facial recognition software, and smart assistants like Siri or Alexa. These are all examples of AI in action. 

Companies are using AI to optimize productivity in many ways, such as:

  • Eliminating repetitive tasks for employees

  • Allowing for a more efficient supply chain

  • Increasing cybersecurity 

  • Generating quick responses to customer needs or questions

These uses look a little different based on the industry. Industry-specific applications of artificial intelligence include: 

  • Health care: AI-assisted robotic surgery, telemedicine

  • Robotics: Vision control, motor control, learning, cooperative behavior

  • Engineering: Fault diagnosis, predictive maintenance, intelligent control systems

  • Marketing: Tailored and targeted messaging

  • Customer service: Chatbots 

Career paths in AI 

Many career options are available in the field of AI. Some people get their start in machine learning and move into more specialized jobs. Because so many industries use a form of AI, you’ll find quite a few possibilities if you’re considering a career in this field. 

A few examples of careers in AI include: 

Many careers in AI pay very well. Even entry-level positions earn an average of $110,956 annually in the US, according to Glassdoor [1]. Examples of entry-level job titles in AI are junior data analyst, information systems analyst, and junior imagery analyst. 

Mid- to upper-level careers in AI include jobs specific to machine learning, like machine learning engineering or machine learning software engineering. As a machine learning engineer, expect to earn between $134,000 and $214,000 a year, depending on your location and industry [2].

How to get into an AI career

Since AI is such a fast-growing, emerging field, you can explore many ways to get into AI. 

The necessary qualifications will vary based on the job. While many AI jobs require a degree, many developers and engineers have gained entry into this field by learning skills, getting experience, and earning certifications.

Earn a degree

While you don’t always need a degree to work in AI, many hiring managers still require a bachelor’s degree at minimum in fields like computer science, mathematics, statistics, or information technology. An associate degree or technical boot camp may be sufficient to get a job as a software engineer working in AI. However, upper-level positions will likely require a master’s or doctorate. The following are common coursework you can consider as an AI enthusiast:

Get certified

Certifications offer another potential pathway to careers in AI. If you’re aiming for a career in AI, certifications that teach programming languages can be particularly valuable. Many employers in the field of AI ask applicants to show proficiency in up to five programming languages. Since these jobs often pay well, the competition is high.

Whether or not you have a degree, you may want to get certified in areas specific to artificial intelligence, like machine learning or deep learning, to help you move further into the field of AI. Examples of AI certifications include:

The future of AI 

The need for artificial intelligence is growing by the day. More industries are adopting AI to complete important tasks and keep systems secure. Within the next decade, you can expect to see autonomous cars, AI-powered robots working alongside humans, digitized textbooks, and virtual nursing assistants, just to name a few examples. 

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The next step in your AI journey

AI enables computers and machines to mimic human abilities such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. If the field of artificial intelligence sounds like an exciting new adventure, start by researching jobs you’d like to pursue. Enroll in a university to earn your bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field or earn some certifications in an area of specialty. The potential payoff for educating yourself in this field could be high.

On Coursera, you can find online courses in AI at different levels of experience from industry leaders. Consider IBM’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course and DeepLearning.AI’s AI for Everyone course, both for beginners, as well as more advanced options like the IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate.

Article sources

1

Glassdoor. “Salary: Artificial Intelligence in United States 2024, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/artificial-intelligence-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm.” Accessed February 6, 2025.

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