Introduced more than a year ago, probably the best-known and now widely used CHAT GPT language model has sparked many discussions in society. Initially, people expressed amazement at advancing science, but later, the other side of AI (artificial intelligence) started to be talked about such as machines replacing humans in a workplace. Professor Dr. Arturas Serackis, head of the Department of electronic systems at the Faculty of electronics at VILNIUS TECH, shares his insight into the impact AI has had on our lives and future perspectives.

Threat to the lazy

When talking about the threats posed by AI, Professor Serackis is candid - the biggest threat arises to those who do not want to improve and have a passive attitude towards their work.

"Jokingly speaking, artificial intelligence is a threat to the lazy who think that learning to perform some simple routine tasks, such as filling out and sorting document forms, writing advertisements, short product descriptions, and so on, will be enough. Already now, we feel that burdening people with such tedious tasks becomes pointless not only financially but also morally," the speaker explains.

Professor Serackis admits that he hears questions about AI threats very often. In this case, there is no straightforward answer, so applied critical thinking could come in handy.

"More and more opportunities arise to compile information (both true and false) into one set and teach AI to formulate realistic sentences, paragraphs, or even entire documents based on that information. The type of information can be very diverse, ranging from stereotypical essays to scientific research results, which could allow enable creating 40,000 compounds suitable for a chemical weapon. In my opinion, we must reconcile ourselves to this, not forget critical thinking, and make every effort to ensure that the application of AI is peaceful," the professor states.

A powerful tool

It’s not even the question of ‘can, but rather ‘must’ use AI for our benefit. Serackis notes that there were times when some people said they would never need a computer in their lives, but now they carry smartwatches, smartphones with computer capabilities, and read news on their computers as opposed to in newspapers. The same will happen with AI tools.

"Previously, to gain required knowledge, memorise many facts that would allow a quick decision-making, finding an answer to a pressing question, people had to be trained for many years, and there was no way of 'cloning' these knowledgeable people. With AI model, this can be done. It means we can put much more information and knowledge into one model in a short time, which could not be achieved through people alone, and this knowledge can be copied as well as widely shared in a very short time," says the speaker.

Changes in the job market

Various factors, including workers' unwillingness to work and improve, influence the demand in the job market.

"Over the past year, due to the very wide use of AI-based solutions, some changes in a demand in certain areas of the job market have been observed. If a year ago there were statements that one profession or another would soon disappear, and a person's work would be replaced by AI-based automated systems, it turned out that significant changes would still need to be awaited," the professor explains, adding that since the emergence of AI, there has been an increased demand for graphic designers, web designers, video processing specialists, financial accountants, sales managers, and market analysts.

As AI improves, the demand for its creators also increases. According to the speaker, the demand for specialists creating chatbots has increased by as much as 200 percent.

"Predicting the demand for one profession or another is currently very difficult. A year ago, it was thought that for several years, there would be a great need for specialists who can formulate appropriate queries for AI models. It has been a year when AI models were trained to formulate such queries themselves so that the AI model itself could provide the information we needed. One thing is clear - specialists who want to remain competitive in the job market will have to learn to use AI tools properly, skilfully, and safely in order to increase their work efficiency," notes the professor.

Promises further development

AI tools have a promising future. Professor Serackis says that investments in AI solutions and hardware specialised for AI deployment and model training are constantly increasing. There are currently no tangible limits to the improvement of AI - new features and astonishing capabilities appear more and more often, no longer requiring a year’s wait.

"Predicting what will happen in a year is very difficult. Nevertheless, we all notice that we can't keep up with technology anymore. Many feel that they could use AI and work 10 times more efficiently, but then a simple question arises - how and where to start? Therefore, we must keep learning gradually, communicate with specialists, and dedicate more time to self-education," says the speaker.

An offer to try an advanced AI study program

For the fourth year in a row, VILNIUS TECH has been inviting students to the Artificial intelligence systems study program. The number of students entering this program doubles every year. The studies are conducted not only in Lithuanian but also in English.

"In this study program, we cultivate an engineering approach and understanding in students of how the smallest electronic components or their circuits work as well as information systems operating in cloud computing. VILNIUS TECH sees its graduates as future solution creators. And not necessarily only in the field of AI - currently, interdisciplinary knowledge is needed in the market," says the professor.

According to Professor Serackis, students choosing this study program are encouraged to join innovative projects and test their skills in new university laboratories.

"We have very creative specialists who mentor students, but they also leave a lot of creative freedom for students to make decisions themselves, try one or another solution. We hope to keep expanding additional as students express a great interest and motivation to gain various additional skills during their studies. We encourage teamwork, want students from different study programs to join other student groups, try different areas of responsibility in joint projects - anyone from programmer to designer, electronics engineer, or mini-project manager. Such workshops make the study process more diverse and not based solely on a blackboard and a lecture," shares the professor.

Promises a bright future

At present, every forward-thinking company thinks about AI solutions and seeks qualified IT specialists, so graduates of the Artificial intelligence study program can be confident that they have excellent career opportunities as well as competitive salaries awaiting them.

"We notice that AI specialists are sought not only by the private sector but also by state institutions. Lithuania is gradually gaining trust from other foreign countries as a country capable of fostering high-level specialists. If countries have long been famous for creating innovative solutions, companies from such countries as Israel, the Netherlands, and Denmark have established innovation departments in Lithuania, which is s poof that investments in innovation and engineering education are not only perspective but also give tangible results. Therefore, now and in the future, I see a lot of creative, non-monotonous work for our graduates, more and more oriented towards creating competitive innovative solutions in the world. Also, we should not forget about solutions relevant to Lithuania, aiming for a safe cyberspace, advanced technical solutions to assist people, allowing them to enjoy life in our wonderful homeland," smiles Professor A. Serackis from the Faculty of Electronics at VILNIUS TECH.