B.C. Institute of Technology launches Artificial Intelligence Management program

There's are good reasons for people to fear the arrival of artificial intelligence in the workplace.

An expert in this field, computer scientist Kai-Fu Lee, told CBS 60 Minutes last year that 40 percent of all jobs will be replaced by robots.

And in a video (see below) for the World Economic Forum, Lee said that the Internet giants are clearly leading the way.

Google is the leader, according to Lee, followed by Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and the Chinese companies Baidu, Tencent, and Alibaba.

"These people have the most data—and data is fuel for AI," Lee said. "By collecting so much data, their AI gets better, their user base increases, they make more money, then they hire more scientists. They buy more machines and the virtual cycle continues."

The B.C. Institute of Technology's School of Business + Media is adapting to these monumental developments by launching an Artificial Intelligence Management option in its Business Information Technology Management program. 

According to BCIT, this two-year diploma is the only program of its kind in Canada.

“We created the Artificial Intelligence Management option curriculum to train entry-level AI management knowledge workers,” BITMAN program head Malcolm Ferrier says on the school's website. “These job-ready business AI analysts will be prepared to help an organization design and implement artificial intelligence, machine learning, and business intelligence solutions.”

BCIT is accepting applications for those who want to enroll in this program in the fall.