CAREERS
with STEM™
JOB KIT
AI ENGINeer
Design and develop systems that use AI to perform tasks and solve problems
BUILD THE AI EVERYONE WILL USE NEXT
Career-focused
Guided
Build the future
If you love tech, being creative and problem-solving, there’s a place for you in AI engineering
AI engineering is where strong technical skills meet meaningful real-world outcomes. I enjoy building AI systems that don’t just “work in a notebook” but are robust in practice, with clean data pipelines, proper testing, monitoring, and security controls.
I like the full lifecycle: understanding a real problem, designing the right approach, selecting and validating models, deploying them safely, and ensuring they remain trustworthy over time. AI can improve services and decision-making, but it also poses risks, such as bias, privacy concerns, and security threats. I’m motivated to ensure AI is engineered in a way people can trust.
If you’re considering a future in AI engineering, you should focus on strong foundations and practical skills. Learn programming well, understand data, and build your maths and statistics basics, because that is what makes everything else easier. AI engineering is a great path to go down if you enjoy building things, learning continuously, and working on problems that have real consequences.
There are strong career opportunities too. With Torrens University’s Bachelor of Information Technology’s elective stream in AI, you could become a machine learning or an AI engineer, a software engineer building AI-enabled applications, or a data engineer supporting AI pipelines. You could also work in MLOps (machine
Dr Kamran Shaukat Senior Learning Facilitator and Course CoOrdinator
It’s a great path to go down if you enjoy working on problems that have real consequences”
learning operations) and platform engineering, focusing on deployment and monitoring.
There are also roles in testing and validating AI products, as well as in consulting or solutions development. AI is now used across many industries, including health, design, finance, security, education, and government, so there are many sectors where your skills will be needed.
To kickstart your career, Torrens University is the place to be. Our degree is designed to be practical and industry-aligned, not just theoretical. Students build both software engineering capability and applied AI skills, which is what employers look for. Plus, they gain 192 hours of real-world experience before they graduate.
Enjoy exploring this Job Kit and all that AI engineering has to offer you.
Dr Kamran
Shaukat
Senior Learning Facilitator & Course Coordinator – Technology, Torrens University
RIDE THE AI WAVE…
...into a career as an AI engineer!
FYI
What is an AI engineer?
Oh, just Australia’s number one fastest-growing job, according to the LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise 2026 report! It’s also someone who is skilled up in software and can design and develop systems that use AI to perform tasks and solve problems.
pick your path
As an AI engineer, you could follow any one of these career paths.
Software engineer
Salary: $122k - $194k
AI Product Manager
Salary: $118k - $169k
AI feature developer
Salary: $93k - $128k
Machine learning engineer
Salary: $122k - $194k
Data engineer
Salary: $122k - $194k
Industries most exposed to AI saw three-times higher growth in revenue per employee (27%) compared to those least exposed (9%), according to PWC
Be in demand
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) reported that Australia will need an additional 230,000 tech workers by 2030. Why not be at the forefront with AI engineering skills?
Fill the gap
Cybersecurity and AI took out the top spots on ACS’ list of digital skills that are in shortage in Australia. Sounds like an opportunity for future AI engineers!
AI engineer’s day-to-day
Tasks can include:
✔ Building, testing and improving AI models
✔ Developing AI solutions for real problems
✔ Working with data to train smarter systems
✔ Collaborating with designers, developers and business teams
✔ Deploying AI tools into real products people actually use
Some roles are broad, others specialise in areas like language, automation vision, or security. The common thread? Using AI to solve real-world challenges.
study corner
Get ahead with a Bachelor of Information Technology, specialising in AI, from Torrens University.
This degree will get you started in AI with a strong foundation in pattern recognition, algorithms, and data structures, while you learn human-centred design, and secure-by-design principles. You’ll explore machine learning, data mining and visualisation, work with natural language processing and speech recognition, and get 192 hours of real-world experience through an internship or live project.
Looking for postgraduate options?
A Graduate Certificate of Information Technology is perfect for those with experience in the field, and who want to upskill in the area of AI.
Or you could do a Master of Information Technology to broaden your skillset and level up further into senior AI roles. In this course you’ll get hands-on with machine learning, computer vision, and speech recognition. You’ll also gain 192 hours of experience by completing an internship or working on a live brief.
Learn about Torrens University’s tech courses at torrens.edu.au/ courses/technology or by scanning the QR code.
Did you know?
Jobs using AI are on the rise. According to PWC, roles that included AI grew by 10% in 2024. There’s never been a better time to dive into AI engineering!
Myths busted
#1 “AI will replace human expertise!”
No way. AI doesn’t replace people – it works with them. AI is powerful at analysing data, spotting patterns, and automating repetitive tasks, but it still relies on human judgement, ethical decision-making , as well as creativity. The best AI solutions are built through collaboration between humans and machines.
Show me the money
Worldwide AI spending will total over $3 trillion (AUD) in 2026
#2 “AI is neutral and unbiased.”
Ahh, no. AI reflects the data it’s trained on. AI systems learn from existing data, which can include historical bias or gaps in knowledge. That means if the data is flawed then the outcomes will be too. That’s why responsible AI engineering focuses on high-quality data, transparency, and ongoing human oversight.
#3 “AI engineers only work in tech companies.”
Not true. AI is used across almost every industry. AI engineers work in healthcare, finance, fashion, gaming, transport, sustainability, and creative industries. Anywhere data exists, AI can be applied to improve systems, products, and experiences.
Deep learner
Captivated by AI, Victoria Mills decided to study artificial intelligence at Torrens University and is excited for what the future holds
Victoria is intrigued by AI and believes it explores what makes us human. “Curiosity, knowledge, language, connections and patterns… In many ways we are algorithmic creatures.”
This interest in AI, paired with a love for problem solving, eventually led Victoria to Torrens University, where she’s studying an undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence.
Victoria attends uni online and really likes the flexibility Torrens University offers. “I enjoy that it feels like a full learning environment but also gives me the freedom to learn in more adaptive ways,” she says. “You can really cater to your specific learning style and individual needs.”
victoria mills artificial intelligence student
She’s also looking forward to undertaking real-world experience through an internship or live project, as part of her degree.
“It’s fantastic because there’s such a variety of workplace environments and experiences to choose from,” Victoria says. She aims to fully immerse herself in whatever opportunities come her way and absorb all the information she can.
As for her career goals, Victoria dreams of working at Google or NASA and wants to contribute to projects that are designed to support society.
If you’re keen on studying her degree, Victoria wants you to know that endurance is the key. “It’s a marathon not a sprint. If you pace yourself, you’ll be more consistent and confident over time.”
And when she’s not studying? Victoria is exploring her passion for beauty and fashion. “I enjoy analysing and predicting trends, adapting make-up techniques, as well as experimenting with new products and formulas,” she says.
“In many ways the beauty industry has always played a major part of my interest in STEM.”
Studying is a marathon not a sprint. pace yourself”
A day in the life of… SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Keen on a tech career, Miguel Zorrilla chose to study software engineering and AI
miguel softwarezorrillaengineer
When deciding on a degree, Miguel knew majoring in AI would help him understand how machines think at a deeper level. It was also a subject that linked well with his previous studies in linguistics, modern languages and psychology. This led him to studying artificial intelligence at Torrens University.
After completing his degree, Miguel secured an internship at Automic Group, a financial services and tech company. He says this was a huge first step in his software engineering career. Now? He works as a software developer at LiquidLearning, who provide professional development services.
To be a great AI engineer, complete as many projects as possible. “Your brain just remembers that there’s a solution for a problem or a similar fix based on your previous experience, so you deliver much faster.”
Miguel’s schedule
8:30 AM
Meet with the team for updates on projects, things that have been completed, plus things that need attention. We also brainstorm ideas to fix any current issues.
9:00 AM
Work on automations to make processes faster and more efficient. I also build functions on our CRM (Customer Relationships Management) software and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to create better reports. This makes life easier for the Sales and Operations teams.
1:00 PM
Lunch! I eat in 15 minutes and then spend 45 minutes on my personal website, which is called englishlabel365.com It offers free English-speaking classes. I plan for fixes and check the feedback board.
2:00 PM
Analyse social media numbers (Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn) to come up with ideas for improving engagement and marketing sales.
4:30 PM
Create reports and send them to my manager by home time.
Get the job!
Start your AI engineering journey now
Electives checklist Studying these subjects at school can help!
Listen
Latent Space: The AI Engineer Podcast
This is by AI engineers, for AI engineers! The hosts cover AI news and have exclusive interviews with OpenAI, Gemini, Meta and more.
The Cognitive Revolution
Hear from AI builders and researchers and explore the changes AI will unlock in the coming years.
AI Engineering Podcast
An interesting and practical podcast that walks listeners through the steps of building and maintaining an AI system.
Go to uni
If you want a career in AI, what you study matters. It’s an ever-changing field, and studying at uni has heaps of benefits beyond learning code. At Torrens, this includes receiving guidance from lecturers who are industry professionals, gaining an understanding of the ethics and societal impact of AI, and industry connections.
Choose this career if you...
✔ Are a natural problem-solver, not a routine-follower
✔ Like tech and creativity
✔ Are curious about how AI shapes everyday life
✔ Don’t want a “same day, same task” job
✔ Are probably the one explaining tech to your friends
✔ Like to test and compare the AI features in every device and apps
Watch
The Age of AI (YouTube)
Hosted by Robert Downey Jr, this YouTube Original series highlights the cutting-edge tech and amazing innovations set to change the world forever.
Inside the Bachelor of Information Technology (YouTube) Hear from a Torrens University student about how the uni teachers help you stand out and get ahead in the industry.
