AI in My 20s: I Started With Interest, Not Experience
I didn’t have a background in artificial intelligence when I started. I was simply interested in learning, and that interest eventually became something more.How curiosity, writing, and an unexpected opportunity led me into artificial intelligence.I never imagined I’d be working in artificial…
Annons
Annons
I didn’t have a background in artificial intelligence when I started. I was simply interested in learning, and that interest eventually became something more.How curiosity, writing, and an unexpected opportunity led me into artificial intelligence.I never imagined I’d be working in artificial intelligence in my 20s.A few years ago, my career was heading in a different direction. I was working in accounting, learning the responsibilities that came with it, and genuinely enjoying what I did. AI wasn’t something I thought about pursuing professionally.Of course, I knew about ChatGPT. Like many people, I’d used it for simple tasks, mostly emails, organizing schedules, and making everyday work a little easier. But I didn’t know much about what was happening behind those tools, what else they could do, or how quickly the industry was changing.I wasn’t someone who spent years studying machine learning or building AI models. I didn’t have a plan to become an AI researcher, technical writer, or editor.I was simply curious.And looking back, that curiosity was enough to get me started.I Still Love Accounting. I Just Found Something Else I Wanted to Explore.One thing I want to make clear is that I genuinely enjoyed working in accounting.I learned a lot from that experience, including the importance of accuracy, organization, and paying attention to small details. I also earned my Xero certification, which was something I was proud to accomplish.For a while, I thought that was the direction my career would continue taking. And honestly, I still see myself returning to it someday. The difference is that I now have another set of interests and experiences that I’d love to bring with me.I’ve always enjoyed writing and technology, even when they weren’t directly related to my work. Writing was something I naturally gravitated toward, whether that meant putting thoughts into words, researching unfamiliar topics, or finding better ways to explain things.When I became interested in AI, I started wondering how these different areas could connect. Accounting is increasingly influenced by technology, and I’m curious about what that could mean for the work I used to do.Could the things I’m learning about AI eventually help me approach accounting differently?Could I find a way to combine the analytical side of accounting with the research, writing, and technology I’m exploring today?I don’t have the answers yet. But that’s something I’d genuinely like to explore in the future. And exploring something new doesn’t always mean leaving everything else behind.For me, accounting is still something I value. I’m simply taking the opportunity to learn something different, with the hope that these experiences might eventually come together.It Started With Someone Showing Me What AI Could DoMy interest in AI didn’t begin with a course, a certification, or a detailed career plan.It started with a coworker.At the time, my experience with AI was limited to using tools like ChatGPT for relatively simple tasks. I knew they could generate text and answer questions, but I hadn’t explored much beyond that.Then a coworker introduced me to other possibilities, including building applications and using tools like ChatGPT and Claude for more than everyday assistance.I remember being surprised by how much I hadn’t explored. There were so many things people were already doing with AI that I didn’t even know were possible.Naturally, I started asking questions.How does this work?What else can it do?Why are people using one model instead of another?What makes these tools different?One question would lead to another, and before I knew it, I was spending more time reading about AI developments and trying to understand the technology.Not everything made sense immediately. There were unfamiliar terms, technical explanations I had to read more than once, and concepts that required additional research.Even now, there are things I come across that I don’t fully understand the first time. But instead of losing interest, I wanted to learn more. I think that was when I realized AI wasn’t just another technology I happened to use. It was something I genuinely wanted to understand.Finding My Place Through WritingWhen people talk about working in AI, the first roles that usually come to mind are software engineers, machine learning researchers, and developers.For a while, I associated the industry with those roles, too. But as I explored AI further, I realized that what interested me most was researching new developments, understanding how different tools worked, and sharing what I’d learned.Then, almost unexpectedly, I found an opportunity to explore those interests through writing.It’s funny how things sometimes work out. I was becoming increasingly curious about AI, and here was an opportunity to learn more about it while doing something I’d always enjoyed.The opportunity didn’t create my interest. It gave me somewhere to explore it.What started with writing eventually grew into research, editing, and working with other writers. Along the way, I learned that explaining technology requires more than simply repeating what companies announce.It means understanding what a tool actually does, questioning claims, and making complicated topics easier for readers to follow without losing important details.Today, I get to explore new AI developments, work with different perspectives, and continue learning about an industry that changes almost every week.It’s a combination of things I’ve always enjoyed, and I’m glad I found a place for them.There’s Still So Much I Don’t KnowWorking with AI has made me realize just how much there is to learn.Some topics take longer to understand than others. Sometimes, I need to revisit the basics or research unfamiliar terms before I can confidently explain something.And that’s okay. I never expected to know everything when I started.But I’ve also learned that curiosity alone isn’t enough. Understanding something takes time, effort, and a willingness to question what you think you know.The more I research and write, the more I realize how important it is to look beyond impressive announcements and understand what the technology can actually do.That’s something I want to keep improving. I don’t need to become an expert in every area of AI. I just want to keep learning, asking better questions, and becoming better at what I do.You Don’t Have to Know Everything to StartI’m writing this as a woman in my 20s who entered AI without professional experience in the field.I didn’t have a detailed plan or know where my interest would lead. I simply wanted to learn more, and eventually found an opportunity to do so through writing and research.I know curiosity alone doesn’t guarantee opportunities or success. But I believe there’s value in exploring what interests you, even when you’re unsure where it might lead.For me, that interest found a place in AI. Someday, I’d love to bring what I’ve learned back into accounting, a field I still genuinely enjoy, or explore where else this experience might take me.I don’t know how everything will come together yet, and that’s part of what makes it exciting.I didn’t start exploring AI because I already knew enough about it. I started because I wanted to know more.And I think that’s a good enough reason to begin.This story is published under the Generative AI publication. Connect with us on LinkedIn and follow Zeniteq to stay in the loop with the latest AI stories. Let’s shape the future of AI together!AI in My 20s: I Started With Interest, Not Experience was originally published in Generative AI on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.