Dive Brief:
- Artificial intelligence expert and Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng launched an online deep learning course to train millions of new AI experts, according to MIT Technology Review.
- The course, launched on Coursera, is Ng's first project through his new startup, Deeplearning.ai; he plans to follow up with two more projects. In March, Ng left his position at Chinese internet company Baidu.
- Ng realizes, like many other experts, that present and future tech talent demands will be too high to rely on universities alone. Through Coursera, and soon Deeplearning.ai, Ng hopes to commoditize AI training and quickly educate more people. To create an AI-ready workforce, Ng told Technology Review in an interview, the industry has to teach millions of people to use these AI tools so they can go and invent the things that no large company, or company I could build, could do."
Dive Insight:
AI market revenues are expected to grow 487% within five years, as nearly every industry looks for ways to embed AI technology into enterprise applications and processes, according to a recent IDC study. But companies need AI talent to make it all happen.
Demand for AI experts is growing, but a shortage of skilled professionals can prevent companies from taking full advantage of the advanced technology. A study released by Tech Pro Research last year found more than 40% of respondents said their enterprise IT personnel don’t have the skills required to implement and support AI and machine learning.
Ng isn’t the only one looking to train AI experts. In May, NVIDIA announced plans to train 100,000 developers in AI skills this year through its NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute.
Coursera isn't focusing on AI alone, also working to ready the tech workforce for a variety of advanced technologies. In March, Coursera announced it would partner with Google to offer Google Cloud Platform training courses to broaden the number of skilled professionals who can use the internet giant's cloud platform technology.
