The future is AI

Some reasons why I am transitioning to AI

By Jay Pinion

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last few years, you have probably seen the meteoric rise of AI. Its influence is seeping into every industry, and its prevalence will only increase with time. The jury is still out on whether this current phase of AI hype will lead to AI super-intelligence in the near future. We will have to wait and see if simply scaling the current AI models to astronomical levels will be enough to reach AGI. Even if this doesn’t occur, AI will still improve at a sufficient rate to transform many sectors, namely energy, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Incredible sums of venture and state capital are being invested into new AI companies and initiatives. NVIDIA, the maker of the GPUs required to run cutting-edge AI models, recently surpassed Apple as the world’s second most valuable company. It doesn’t take a genius to spot a new wave of technological progress. I want to be a part of this.

This is why, come September 2024, I will be starting a one-year Master’s program in AI at the University of Edinburgh. Sequoia Capital, in this article, speaks highly of the university’s contribution to European AI talent.

In addition to what I have mentioned above, I have outlined a list of reasons why I am transitioning out of the field of full-stack web development and into the field of Artificial Intelligence:

Agentic AI and Full-Stack Web Development

  1. A few system architects will coordinate design and development using AI agents.

  2. It will lower the barrier to entry for web development.

  3. Anyone with a logical mind can become a web developer.

  4. This is expected to happen within the next 3-5 years.

AI-Driven Technological Advances

  1. AI super-intelligence.

  2. Robotics will replace labor.

  3. Drug discovery and precision medicine:

  4. Finding cures for cancer and other diseases.

  5. Bio-simulation will replace human medical trials.

  6. Advances in materials science for energy production:

  7. Improved batteries, photovoltaic cells, and superconducting magnets.

Financial Outlook Over My Career

  1. I will recover the £54,000 loss (from a 1-year AI course costing £24,000 and £30,000 in lost income potential - post tax) over my career.

  2. Higher salary over a 40-year career.

More Meaningful Work

  1. I get to work on some of the most exciting problems in technology with real potential to help people.

  2. Low likelihood of boredom.

  3. Highly paid work.

  4. Potential for mastery in my field.