Artificial intelligence chatbots can write corporate memos, compose new episodes of The Office in iambic pentameter and potentially land you a lucrative new job.
Nearly three-quarters of CEOs call generative AI a "top investing priority," according to a recent survey conducted by KPMG, an international professional services network. They're spending on AI in the hopes of increased profitability, innovation and security for their companies, respondents said.
More than half of the survey's participants said they're spending more money on new technology than training current employees. That means understanding how to use AI — on your own time — could set you apart in the job application pool, and potentially earn you more money.
The average job posting involving generative AI skills offers a $138,232 salary, says a September report from job search platform Adzuna. Meanwhile, 87% of C-suite executives are struggling to find candidates with AI skills strong enough to fill those roles, according to online education platform edX.
The tech is quickly becoming just as essential for researchers or accountants as it is for software engineers or data scientists.
"It's a super-important skillset employers are looking for, across all industries," Jay Shankar, vice president of global talent acquisition at Amazon Web Services, told CNBC Make It in April. "AI is practically everywhere now ... and to me, if there's one technical skill you want to learn, that's the area to focus on."
How to pick up the 'single most important' AI skill — in a matter of hours
The "single most important" AI skill you need to learn, says MIT professor and edX co-founder Anant Agarwal: prompt engineering. It only takes two hours to learn the basics, Agarwal told Make It last month.
At its core, prompt engineering means understanding which specific questions and prompts to use to get equally specific results from chatbots and AI learning tools. The more refined your request, the quicker you'll get the type of response you seek.
"How you ask for something [from a generative AI tool] is very critical," Agarwal said, noting that you can learn the fundamentals of prompt engineering from free online courses on edX. Companies like Coursera, Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn offer similar training classes.
Generative AI can help you earn money outside of your 9-to-5, too: Freelance prompt engineers can charge upwards of $100 for just five prompts, Make It reported in August.
"I wouldn't fear AI taking away my job. But, frankly, I would fear other workers who upskill in AI faster than I can ... taking away my job," Agarwal said.
Disclosure: Anant Agarwal has served on CNBC's Technology Executive Council Advisory Board.
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