Mark Cuban said a big truth: if you still have plenty of free time, instead of being idle, you might as well learn AI.

He believes that high-paying jobs in the future will basically revolve around AI, and whether you are a high school student or a university student, entering the field early will allow you to secure your position. Specifically, these 4 directions are the most worth betting on:

**Basic Knowledge** — Don’t overestimate yourself; mastering the basic usage of tools like ChatGPT can help you outpace most competitors. Being able to teach your boss to optimize processes after joining is a bargaining chip.

**Prompt Engineering** — Asking questions is actually more valuable than answering them. Cuban said that if he had to do it all over again, he would focus on this area and then sell consulting services to small companies. While big companies are still figuring out how to use AI, you would already be an expert.

**Machine Learning** — This field has a high barrier to entry but is in great demand. Financial fraud prevention, medical diagnosis, and security protection all rely on this technology; once you learn it, job opportunities will not be a problem.

**Ethical Compliance** — Don't overlook this. Companies face legal risks when using AI for resume screening, customer service, and online protection. Understanding this can help the company avoid pitfalls and also enhance your own value.

In simple terms: Take the opportunity while AI is still in its prime, learn ahead of time, and the salary gap in 3-5 years will be very noticeable.