Machine Learning/Data Sciences/R

Searching for a Job in the Age of Hype!
This month, we’re trying something different with a change of venue. I’m hoping for more audience participation, and I’d love to add your voice to our discussion.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding AI, particularly in machine learning (ML), ChatGPT, and even quantum computing. I’m interested in hearing about your personal experiences with job searching in AI, ML, and ChatGPT. While many blogs discuss this topic, it would be valuable to survey people directly and gather their insights.
Lately, I’ve come across posts claiming that anyone with some ML experience can easily find a job in the field. Or management drinking the AI KoolAid about how you can now replace half the programming staff with AI. However, recent graduates with degrees specializing in machine learning often share their struggles, including having to settle for positions far below their expectations.
This kind of hype isn’t new. We can recall the internet implosion of 2001. I remember 1992 when DEC launched the Alpha chip—a technical marvel that didn’t sell as expected. Or Arvind’s DataFlow architecture, which was supposed to revolutionize CPU design by addressing the von Neumann bottleneck, yet Motorola lost $50 million (at a time when that was a significant amount of money). And, of course, we’ve been “20 years away” from sustained nuclear fusion for the past 40 years.
Remember, to err is human, but to really foul things up takes a computer. I think we are in "The Uncanny Valley" and will be there for quite a while.
I went to uni at McGill and considered transferring to RPI while working full time. One of my professors explained the EE program differences between McGill and RPI. McGill tends to teach engineering topics which have been around for years, and are expected to be around for lots of years. RPI tends to teach hot technologies, hoping to get students into hot fields for the next 5 years. I guess the students are expected to retool every couple of years to stay relevant and up to date. This is a constant uphill grind to prevent you from dropping out of the field to do something else.
NB. The above image has been generated with ChatGPT!