CompTIA's New AI Essentials Course

At Dion Training, we recently hosted an AMA session with James Stanger, the Chief Technology Evangelist at CompTIA, to discuss their upcoming AI Essentials course and the future of AI in certification programs. Here’s what we learned about these exciting developments.

Introducing AI Essentials: CompTIA's New Course for 2024

CompTIA is set to launch the AI Essentials course in 2024, designed to cover six critical domains of AI. This course aims to focus on productive and ethical use of AI, moving beyond basic digital literacy to achieving digital fluency. Participants will engage in interactive sessions that emphasize dialogue and practical applications, ensuring they can integrate AI skills into their daily work.

Expanding Certification Programs with AI

CompTIA is also expanding its certification programs to include AI-focused specializations. These expansions will allow professionals to build upon their existing credentials with additional AI knowledge. Some of the exciting new offerings might include:

• Security+ Plus AI: Enhances cybersecurity skills with AI technologies.
• Pentest+ Plus AI: Integrates AI into penetration testing and social engineering.
• CYSA+ Plus AI: Combines AI with cyber security analysis.
• AI Plus Scripting: Highlights the importance of scripting in AI applications.

These AI-focused certifications would be able to be pursued as stackable credentials, allowing professionals to enhance their primary certifications with specialized AI exams.

Course Structure and Objectives

The AI Essentials course is structured as a five-day bootcamp, designed to provide a thorough understanding of AI in a short period. The course aims to make participants not just digitally literate but digitally fluent, focusing on practical applications and dialogue with AI technologies. The curriculum emphasizes the integration of AI into everyday professional activities, moving away from a copy-and-paste model to a more interactive and productive approach.

Emphasizing Interstices: Finding Unique Skills

A key aspect of the AI Essentials course is its focus on interstices—areas where different technologies intersect, revealing new opportunities and challenges. Stanger believes that understanding these intersections can uncover innovative solutions and applications for AI. This approach helps learners grasp the critical relationships between technologies and how AI can address existing challenges, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting issues.

Moving Beyond the Hype

CompTIA is committed to cutting through the hype surrounding AI. The AI Essentials course is designed to equip professionals with practical skills they can apply in their careers. By emphasizing real-world scenarios and interactive learning, the course ensures that participants can effectively use AI as a tool in their work environments.

For more details and insights from our AMA session with James Stanger, watch the full video here.