Future-Proof Your Career Path With AI Education

By DeVry University

February 4, 2026

14 min read

Artificial intelligence is here, and it’s reshaping many jobs and industries by automating routine tasks and supplementing human decision-making. In healthcare, for example, professionals are using AI to streamline operational tasks, automate billing processes, take notes, and much more.

With the right skills and education, you can be part of that world — and that work. You can prepare for the future by learning the tools and skills needed to help define the future of AI in fields such as business, healthcare, and technology.

Discover the emerging role of AI in the workplace and how AI education can equip you with skills to prepare you for the future of work in an AI-enriched world.

Why AI matters in every industry today

AI is making an impact in careers of all stripes, and a recent survey echoes just how much the new technology is being used today. According to a McKinsey report, Superagency in the workplace: Empowering people to unlock AI's full potential, many employees are already embracing AI. In fact, employees are using AI a lot: Workers — 3 times more staff than their leaders know — are using it for at least a third of their tasks. Additionally, 70% of employees think AI will transform their work by 30% or more within 2 years.

Here are some ways that AI is impacting our daily lives and work right now:

Healthcare: AI is used to analyze medical images to support human decision-making in relation to diagnosis. It’s also used to streamline processes, billing, and other tasks in healthcare administration.
Financial services: AI tools monitor transactions in real time to detect fraud and alert customers. Artificial intelligence is also used to build automations, run risk analyses, optimize forecasting, and much more.
Cyber security: Tech professionals use AI to recognize and act on suspicious network activity. Artificial intelligence also helps automate risk assessments, analyze data logs, and provide extra layers of AI-driven cyber security that support manual processes.
Retail: Shop owners use AI to automate everything from billing to customer emails. With the help of predictive analytics, retail professionals use predictive analytics to suggest products a customer may want based on their purchases and online behavior.

Build AI skills that shape the future of work

Learning to use AI can be a strategic career move as the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace continues to evolve. AI is transforming many roles and industries today, and developing a strong foundation in this new technology can help you prepare for changing roles and business needs.

AI is revolutionizing how work is done — making many tasks faster and more automated than ever before. But humans still play a critical role in the workplace. Our ability to reason, apply ethics, and make strategic decisions is something technology can’t replicate or replace.

Keeping your professional abilities up to date by upskilling in AI can help you stand out as the job market shifts and employers redefine what they look for in desirable candidates.

How is AI influencing programming and information technology skills?

AI is broadly reshaping IT skills, from making coding faster and more accessible to streamlining basic tech tasks that free up time for more strategic and creative work.

For example, in software development, tech professionals are experimenting with vibe coding, the process of using genAI tools to generate code for websites and apps with less manual work. Developers work in partnership with these tools, and they still guide, refine, and test the output with programming fundamentals.

IT professionals are also finding many uses for AI, including automating network tests, generating reports, optimizing communications, and detecting security threats. These are just a few examples of how AI is influencing every corner of the tech industry.

AI’s role in data analysis and problem solving

The art of problem solving is highly valued in all professions. It’s vital in data analysis. The importance of and need for interpreting data in AI-driven environments is key. AI tools can often review and analyze data more quickly than humans, spotting trends and potential problems to help professionals in their decision-making process.

According to The Future of Jobs Report 2025, technological change is among the top factors expected to shape the labor market globally by 2030. Additionally, the report found that AI and big data are the fastest-growing skills, with networks, cyber security, and technology literacy close behind.

AI innovation and creativity

Whether you’re studying AI, information technology, or a related field, there are many ways to leverage artificial intelligence. Experimenting with AI is a great first step in learning how to best use it in everyday work:

Large language models (LLMs), like Gemini, are great for brainstorming ideas for projects and generating questions for a research paper.
Vibe coding is the process of using an LLM to create code by providing your idea with a strategic prompt. For example, you might ask Perplexity AI to create a fun webpage for a sock company that has a colorful layout with animated, talking socks.
Innovating, or creating alternative ideas for an existing product or process, is another great way to experiment with AI. In this instance, you might ask an LLM to turn messy project notes into an organized spreadsheet to help you study.

Ethical AI and responsible use

With AI, as with other areas of business, transparency, accountability, and fairness are important. These qualities build trust with customers, clients, and employees. Learning to use AI with these values in mind is crucial for any leader.

A few ethical AI considerations to keep in mind include:

Don’t plagiarize: Use tools to generate ideas and brainstorms, but ensure your final product doesn’t use someone else’s published words verbatim.
Avoid bias: Check the AI’s output for signs of bias or unfair assumptions. This is where human oversight, nuance, and empathy play an important role that AI can’t replace.
Value privacy: Make sure your use of AI doesn’t violate anyone’s privacy or expose confidential data, whether that’s the information you’re feeding into the tool or its output.
Follow policies: Most companies require staff to comply with policies to protect the organization, staff, and others. Be sure you know what information you’re allowed to use with AI and when to draw the line.

How AI is reshaping the future of work

AI is bringing greater efficiency and new jobs to the workplace. At DeVry, our AI programs are designed to prepare you for current and emerging AI roles. Here are a few examples of how AI is shaping business:

Industry	Impact of AI
Agriculture	Precision farming specialists oversee AI-driven crop monitoring
Construction	Robot maintenance specialists manage and repair automated machinery
Finance	AI tools flag suspicious transactions for human review
Healthcare	Tech provides quicker analysis of medical scans for faster diagnosis
Marketing	Ethics officers review targeted ads that use personal data to ensure privacy and fairness
Retail	AI helps predict product demand for inventory management

Career opportunities with an AI program

If you’re studying technology or leveling up in your current career, you have many options for AI-forward technology roles to consider, such as:

AI analyst: Analyze digital data for decision-making and operational efficiency.
Business technologist: Build technology using digital tools to solve business problems.
Cyber security analyst: Protect a business’s computer systems, networks, and data from cyber threats.
Machine learning engineer: Research, build, and design autonomous AI systems for machine learning.

How to choose the right AI program for you

To choose the right AI program for you, consider what you’re most interested in learning — and what sort of job opportunities are out there. For example, you can browse online job boards, research tech companies, and explore AI programs.

Here at DeVry, all of our tech programs provide hands-on learning with AI technology and help you build the real-world skills needed for today’s job market. And our Career Services team is here to help guide you along the way with career planning and coaching.