Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Skills Most Needed by Managers in 2024
Almost a third of employees have little understanding of how to use AI and data, and fewer than one in ten have received training on AI tools in the past 12 months.
HR leaders report that hiring AI and data skills will be their top tech skills priority in 2024 as the AI revolution sweeps through the nation’s workplaces. The new research, commissioned by strategic workplace training provider Curendel, surveyed 250 HR decision-makers at large organizations and 1,000 UK employees.
The biggest hiring driver for technical skills over the next 12 months will be for artificial intelligence (AL) and machine learning (ML) engineers, with three-fifths (61%) of HR decision-makers saying these are the technical skills their organization will prioritize in 2024.
The research also found that HR leaders and their teams are looking to hire cybersecurity professionals (60%), data scientists (59%), business analysts (56%), and software engineers (56%).
Today’s employees lack training in artificial intelligence, data, and digital technologies.
While there is a focus on hiring for technical skills, many employees report that they have not been trained on how to use these new technologies. The shocking figure is that 43% of UK employees have not been trained on any new digital tools or technologies at work in the past year. Less than one in ten employees (9%) said they had been trained on AI tools such as Chat GPT in the past 12 months, and 10% have not been trained on how to use advanced data analytics tools such as Tableau or Excel.
Today’s AI and Data Skills Gap
The rapid evolution of AI and new data technologies is fueling innovations that can drive business growth, but it’s also leaving many organizations struggling to keep up. Nearly half of HR leaders (46%) say that assessing the impact of technological changes on job roles is a key challenge for attracting new employees in today’s market. Additionally, HR leaders believe that nearly a third (31%) of employees have little understanding of the right and wrong ways to use AI and data management in their roles.
Harnessing the power of AI while addressing risks
Despite the challenges, many businesses want to embrace the transformation. All HR leaders surveyed confirmed that their organization will focus on addressing the potential risks of AI. 60 percent of HR leaders say their business has either begun integrating AI technology into the workplace (11%) or is fully ready to begin integrating AI (48%), while less than one in ten (9%) say their organization is not ready to integrate AI technology into the business.
However, less than half of businesses have implemented ethical guidelines for AI development and deployment (42%), consulted with experts on AI ethics (44%), or implemented employee training programs on AI ethics (48%).
“AI is no longer just a buzzword,” said James Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Curandel. “The launch of tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot isn’t just about boosting efficiency and convenience. What we’re experiencing is a massive shift that is changing the way we do business, requiring new skills, and creating new roles. Businesses need to lead the way by both hiring new skills and investing in upskilling existing employees to build a skilled, informed, and strategically equipped workforce for an AI-powered world.”
James Kelly added: “Forward-thinking organisations are recognising the critical need for their teams to have a mix of ‘human’ and professional skills, and AI and data skills, in order to maintain their competitive advantage. The addition of ‘AI Fundamentals’ to all of Corandle’s programmes will strategically support businesses to ensure their employees have the knowledge they need to maximise the opportunities and protect against the risks associated with the proliferation of AI tools in the workplace.
Case study:
Emma Liney, a community investor at Clare House Hospital, has enrolled in the Curandell Data-Driven Professionals program. “My role involves engaging with the community to raise funds, but also using data to make informed decisions about who to target for different fundraising strategies,” she said. “Before joining the program, I didn’t know how data could fit into my role. It’s amazing what I can do now for both my team and the wider hospice team. We now make decisions based on analysis of outcomes and data. Being able to make data-driven decisions for care, for fundraising, and all sorts of areas across the organization has a huge impact.
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