AI skills command premium salaries globally, redefining traditional degree relevance
via Punch Nigeria5 min read
As companies increasingly adopt artificial intelligence, professionals with expertise in large language models LLMs, deep learning, and AI strategy are earning high salaries, impacting the traditional role of university degrees in the global job market. A May 2026 report by GoHumanize indicates that LLM expertise is the most valuable AI capability, with nearly 57,000 active job listings and average annual salaries approaching $200,000. Deep learning ranked second with over 67,000 job listings and average salaries around $179,000, followed by computer vision specialists earning about $184,000 annually. AI product management also emerged as a lucrative non-technical pathway, with average salaries near $195,000 per year. The report challenges the notion that a traditional computer science degree is the only path to high-paying tech careers, noting that employers increasingly value portfolios, open-source contributions, certifications, and practical experience over academic credentials. Retired AI researcher John Sanders cautioned against exaggerated claims about AI's current capabilities, emphasizing the need for critical evaluation of information. Software Engineer Jeromy Stewart highlighted that effectively using AI systems requires its own expertise, including prompting, workflow design, model selection, and system integration, suggesting that the most valuable skill is rethinking work processes with AI.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
A recent survey by Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy indicates that over four in five Nigerians support some form of social media regulation for children. The results of the 2024 poll, titled “Proposed Social Media Age Regulation in Nigeria,” were released by Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani at a roundtable in Lagos. The survey, which gathered views from 585 Nigerians, found that 83.4% of respondents supported regulating children's social media use, with 64.8% advocating for outright regulation and 18.6% preferring a different minimum age. A significant 64.5% favored a minimum social media age of 16 or 17 years, higher than the global standard of 13. The survey also highlighted widespread concern, with 93.5% of respondents expressing great or extreme worry about children's safety on social media platforms. The most prevalent online risks identified were exposure to harmful content 90.9%, digital addiction 83.6%, and online grooming 82.4%. Furthermore, 97.6% supported a duty-of-care framework for platforms. Minister Tijani emphasized the need for effective age restrictions and coordinated efforts from government, parents, and digital platforms to protect children online. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission's National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, also stressed the importance of balancing internet access for education with safeguards against cyberbullying, harmful content, and mental healt
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