The 5 Most Valuable Generative AI Certifications

Table of Contents

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• What is Generative AI?
• 6 Benefits of a Generative AI Certification
• The 5 Best Generative AI Certifications
• 1. AWS Certified AI Practitioner
• 2. Global Skills Development Council (GSDC) Generative AI Foundation Certification
• 3. NVIDIA Generative AI LLMs Certification
• 4. Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications’s Certified AI Specialist (CGAI)
• 5. Blockchain Council Certified Generative AI Expert
• How to Learn Generative AI Skills

Whether you’re a data scientist or software engineer, or simply want to level-up your machine learning engineers and AI skills, earning a generative AI certification might be the right move. From AWS to NVIDIA certifications, we’re shining a spotlight on five of the most in-demand generative AI certifications employers are looking to hire for. Find out which skills each generative AI certification validates, plus the exam costs and prerequisites you should expect. 

What is Generative AI?

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of AI that uses generative models to produce data in the form of text, video, music, or images. As opposed to more traditional AI which may focus on analyzing existing data, generative AI aims to create a more unique output.

In general, there are three types of generative AI:

• Text generators, like ChatGPT, which incorporate user prompts to create articles, prose, or lines of code.
• Audio generators such as Synthesis, which create sequences using music, animation, or video.
• Image generators such as DALL-E, which create images based on user input.

The AI is trained on a large data set, finds patterns in the data, then provides novel output relevant to the user’s input. Just like any other type of AI, however, generative AI does have its limitations, such as biases based on the data that was utilized, inaccuracies, or lack of depth or topic understanding. Basically, the difference between traditional and generative AI comes down to this: traditional AI is meant to solve problems or perform specific tasks with predefined algorithms, whereas generative AI incorporates extensive volumes of data to create new content based on the patterns it identifies.

6 Benefits of a Generative AI Certification

There’s no doubt that generative AI is changing the way companies do business, from content creation and product design to research and customer service chatbots and virtual assistants. With this increased use comes an ever-growing demand for tech professionals who can design, implement, and maintain this new technology, but also understand the ethical applications of AI.

Getting your generative AI certifications not only provides you with current skills, but also helps you move your career forward and positions you as an expert in your field. As Varun, a Flatiron School graduate and a Senior AI Engineer, advises, “This field is moving fast… you need to show that you know enough to be dangerous in whatever task the company is trying to build a solution for.” 

Other benefits of getting a generative AI certification include:

1. More job opportunities. Generative AI is used in a wide variety of fields, providing more opportunities to find meaningful, productive employment.
2. Higher salary potential. In general, certifications lead to higher income due to the development of specialized skills and knowledge.
3. Networking opportunities. Certification allows you to build a network of similarly credentialed peers, which can lead to further career opportunities and potential collaboration.
4. Skill validation. Having a generative AI certification demonstrates to potential employers that you have the required AI skills needed to be successful in the field.
5. Enhanced productivity. Using AI effectively on the job leads to automating tasks and increasing overall efficiency, allowing you to spend more time on creativity and innovation.
6. Staying competitive. In a shifting tech landscape, getting a generative AI certification ensures your career relevance and commitment to professional development.

The 5 Best Generative AI Certifications

1. AWS Certified AI Practitioner

• What does the AWS Certified AI Practitioner Certification exam cover? This 65-question exam covers the breadth of AI frameworks, concepts, and associated AWS technologies, with an emphasis on generative AI.
• Who is it for? Those who are familiar with, but do not necessarily build, solutions using AI/ML technologies on AWS, such as IT support, business analysts, marketing professionals, product or project managers, IT management, or sales professionals.

2. Global Skills Development Council (GSDC) Generative AI Foundation Certification

• What does the GSDC Generative AI Foundation Certification exam cover? This exam covers foundational AI concepts, practical applications, and how business can utilize generative AI.
• Who is it for? This exam is for ​​AI researchers and developers, policy makers, business professionals, educators, investors and venture capitalists, non-profit organizations, and tech enthusiasts or hobbyists.

3. NVIDIA Generative AI LLMs Certification

• What does the NVIDIA Generative AI LLMs Certification exam cover? This exam covers the foundations of developing, implementing, and maintaining AI-driven applications using generative AI and large language models (LLMs) with NVIDIA solutions. This includes the fundamentals of machine learning and neural networks, data analysis and visualization, software development, and LLM integration and deployment.
• Who is it for? Professionals in AI and machine learning who want to validate their skills in generative AI and large language models (LLMs). This can include, but isn’t limited to, data scientists, AI strategists, cloud solution architects, deep learning performance engineers, and machine learning engineers.

4. Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications’s Certified AI Specialist (CGAI)

• What does the Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications Certified AI Specialist exam cover? This 50-question, multiple choice exam covers foundational neural network architectures and machine learning techniques including supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised, and reinforcement learning. It also touches on optimizing neural network performance, as well as forecasting, sentiment analysis, and content generation.
• Who is it for? Tech professionals who want to establish themselves as experts in generative AI.

5. Blockchain Council Certified Generative AI Expert

• What does the Blockchain Council Certified Generative AI Expert exam cover? This exam covers comprehensive understanding of generative models, neural networks, and advanced machine learning techniques.
• Who is it for? AI professionals, software developers, data scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, creative professionals, business leaders, AI enthusiasts, career changers, and anyone interested in gaining expertise in generative artificial intelligence.

How to Learn Generative AI Skills

For those already working in tech, a short course focused on generative AI may be the answer. We recommend the following gen AI courses:

• Coursera’s Generative AI with Large Language Models with AWS
• Udacity’s Generative AI Nanodegree
• DataCamp’s Generative AI Concepts
• Educative’s Generative AI Essentials

For those who are new to tech and/or looking to make a career change into AI, an AI/machine learning, data science, or software engineering bootcamp may be the right fit. First, evaluate your career goals:

• If you want to get into AI through a data science path, enroll in a data science bootcamp.
• For those who want to work with AI as a software developer, look for a full stack coding bootcamp that includes modules on AI.
• If you already have some technical skills, you may want to dive right into an AI or machine learning bootcamp.