Lynne Parker, director of the AI Tennessee Initiative, stresses the need for AI literacy to navigate the evolving job market reshaped by AI technologies. With over 500,000 jobs in Tennessee expected to be affected by AI, initiatives like UT’s AI courses and partnerships with ASU aim to prepare students for the changing landscape.
Lynne Parker, the director of the AI Tennessee Initiative and associate vice chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, delivered a talk at the American Museum of Science and Energy. Parker emphasized the growing necessity for AI literacy, stating that it involves the skills to effectively use AI technologies, not necessarily to program them. She mentioned that AI is reshaping the workplace, creating more jobs than it displaces. By the end of the decade, over 500,000 jobs in Tennessee alone are expected to be affected by AI.
Economist Richard Baldwin’s assertion at the 2023 World Economic Forum underlines Parker’s point: “AI won’t take your job. It’s somebody using AI that will take your job.” As such, acquiring AI literacy is crucial for future workplace participation. This fall, the University of Tennessee (UT) introduced an AI 101 course aimed at teaching AI literacy. UT plans to extend this course online in partnership with Arizona State University. Furthermore, UT students can now major or minor in applied AI and pursue degrees in AI or data science.
Parker highlighted that jobs in various sectors are evolving due to AI, affecting fields such as accounting, customer service, and data entry. Even professions like graphic design and content writing now demand familiarity with AI tools. At Oak Ridge High School, students are already integrating AI into their projects.
Parker provided real-world examples of AI’s impact: assisting doctors in diagnosing diseases, predicting market trends, automating trading strategies, improving customer service response times with virtual assistants, and tailoring educational content to individual students through adaptive learning platforms. Notably, the role of prompt engineer—responsible for making AI tools more accessible—can command salaries up to $400,000 annually.
To foster AI literacy across all age groups, Parker recommended two resources: AI4K12 for children and youth, and “AI for Everyone” on Coursera.
