Ask HN: How to find a job that leverages AI skills without heavy coding?

3 points by alexliu518 1 year ago | 2 comments

I'm interested in leveraging my AI skills in a professional setting, but I'm not keen on heavy coding tasks. I'm looking for roles where AI knowledge is essential but the focus isn't on traditional programming.

What kind of positions should I be looking for? Are there any industries or companies known for such roles? Also, what skills or experiences would make me a strong candidate for these positions? Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

latexr 1 year ago |

> I'm interested in leveraging my AI skills

Which are what? There’s no useful information in your question for an informed answer. If your skills are being a “prompt engineer”, then there’s no serious role where that would be essential. No one in their right mind needs to fill a position for “person who knows nothing but can type words in a box and regurgitate the result uncritically”. There are plenty of bad businesses who run on shady practices and broken promises who might, but those are most likely to screw their employees.

If your “AI skills” are something more relevant (i.e. not just the thing everyone has access to and can do themselves) then you may find something acceptable. But it’s impossible for us to give a proper suggestion without context.

talldayo 1 year ago |

> I'm looking for roles where AI knowledge is essential

What do you mean by this?

"AI knowledge" isn't a replacement for understanding how things work. You wouldn't ask to be a doctor or surgeon because you have poor medical skills but strong ChatGPT knowledge; you cannot be trusted in a professional environment where you do not realize the stakes you're held accountable for. The same thing applies in most non-startup environments with a professional business acumen.

I'm trying to think of a single programming task that could be effectively debugged with nothing but an LLM, and I'm just cringing. I hate to say it, but paying for an "AI professional" instead of a junior developer is a waste of a perfectly good salary.