AI development is a field that takes the unique abilities of the human brain to react, interpret and understand and incorporates those abilities into computers. It is a complex field that combines vast amounts of data and algorithms to train machines so they can learn, respond and grow without the need for ongoing programming and code updates.
The work of an AI developer encompasses a wide range of skills and technologies, but the main tasks are to design, test and integrate AI into applications. AI developers work closely with software engineers, product managers and data scientists to ensure that AI is deployed effectively in production environments. They also perform a significant amount of research and stay up-to-date with advancements in machine learning, deep learning and generative AI to develop the necessary technical skill set for the job.
In addition to coding and testing, AI development involves monitoring AI models for performance issues. This requires a good understanding of cloud infrastructure management and optimizing systems for scalability. Depending on the nature of an AI project, AI development can also include the creation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) that uses predictive algorithms to produce original content. For example, a large language model (LLM) can generate poems, songs or screenplays from a database of text.
While IREX participants described feeling pressure from funders, donors and partners to seek out and apply AI tools, they cautioned against seeing them as one-size-fits-all solutions for global challenges. Many of these tools can have unintended consequences, such as privacy violations or a failure to account for bias during training, which could lead to discrimination.