Artificial intelligence reshaping job competition

AI is fast becoming an essential part of everyday business. Using AI to improve operational processes, enhance customer service, measure employee experience, and support cybersecurity efforts is now commonplace. 

As more people rely on AI-powered chatbots for information or assistance today, AI will become increasingly ubiquitous, transforming every aspect of society sooner than we think.

While much of AI discussion revolves around replacing human labor with machine labor. IT leaders, on the other hand, are grappling with ethical, compliance, and governance concerns related to adopting artificial intelligence technology. The immense potential of AI is yet to be fully realized, but its early impact on many industries cannot be ignored. 

New professions and AI-Related abilities

The rise of AI in workplaces creates demand for new and emerging roles in IT and beyond. These include roles such as rapid engineers, AI compliance specialists, and AI product managers. Other emerging roles include AI data annotators, legal professionals specialising in AI regulation, AI ethics consultants, and content moderators to monitor potential disinformation around AI.

There is also an increased demand for more established IT specializations such as predictive analytics, NLP, deep learning, and machine learning. Skills related to ChatGPT, large-scale language models, and other productive AI bots are also in high demand.

You can read more about from: How to use GPT-4 in your digital transformation

AI is stimulating the need for novel executive roles tasked with harnessing AI's productivity across all business facets, from internal operations to AI-integrated external product solutions catered to clients.

Many believe that, in the end, the profit margin distinguishing AI adopters from non-adopters will dictate the survival and future of these businesses, and potentially entire industries.

Agile skills will put you one step ahead

Agility may not be the first skill that comes to mind regarding AI. Still, organisations that have already adopted agile workflows and mindsets are in the best position to integrate AI tools and solutions.

Organizations embracing agile and DevOps philosophies, which involve continuous deployment, redeployment, and testing, are already familiar with these novel processes. They release services or products, solicit feedback, and constantly refine their offerings. This mindset equips them to embrace and implement AI tools and solutions more rapidly than organizations hindered by slower processes, outdated technology, or obstacles to adoption.

Simultaneously, it's crucial for organizations to thoroughly understand their business requirements in order to choose appropriate AI technologies. Agile organizations, with their domain expertise and knowledge, are better positioned to exploit these capabilities.

Strengthening safety is at the forefront

AI opens new doors for security threats and compliance issues organisations must be prepared for.

From a technical standpoint, security is of the utmost importance. Many companies have taken measures such as disallowing or blocking ChatGPT. Nonetheless, as end users strive to enhance their work procedures, 'hidden IT' management could grow globally, alongside evolving technologies. This might reduce security considerations to merely attempting to maintain control over the situation.

Moreover, just a few years ago, discussions surrounding machine learning centered on its potential to crack encryption. With the advent of quantum machine learning, these concerns have intensified. Evidently, organizations require skilled professionals who can identify potential risks and devise viable solutions for handling AI in the workplace.

The tasks associated with managing the infrastructures and platforms that power applications, as well as storing and accessing the resources needed by these modern distributed platforms, are becoming increasingly intricate. As a result, organizations will require proficient individuals who can leverage automation for managing, provisioning, and orchestrating security.

A renewed focus on soft skills

The pace of technological change is such that by the time students finish their first year of computer science, most of what they have learned may be obsolete. The rapid evolution of technology and the potential automation of hard skills provided by IT professionals in some organisations means that soft skills will become increasingly valuable.

The lifespan of hard or technical skills has been significantly reduced due to the rapid pace of technological change. A few years ago, there was a major emphasis on everyone acquiring coding skills. While we still need individuals who can code, the advent of 'low code' or 'no code' platforms has decreased the demand for such skills. Sustainable skills have now come to the forefront, including critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, among others.

AI presents an opportunity to diminish tedious, monotonous, and administrative tasks. This reduction will permit employees to concentrate on projects demanding higher intellectual input, thereby placing more focus on skills like time management, teamwork, and leadership for ensuring success.

You can read more about “Why intelligent machines need human touch to thrive”.

The need for continuous learning

There is now, as there always has been, a need for technological advancement and learning. The current talent pool won't be able to keep up with growing demand for AI specialists, as has been the case with most IT fields.

Approaches such as creating teams of individuals with AI expertise and assigning them the task of enhancing the skills of their peers are tantamount to cultivating talent within an organization today. These methods are especially beneficial as they underscore the importance of domain knowledge and organizational expertise.

Upskilling existing employees is crucial, as they already possess knowledge about potential products or advantages. Rather than recruiting from competitors or externally, organizations should focus on harnessing and developing their existing talent and positioning it in suitable roles. By incorporating AI, organizations will not only acquire the necessary skills to progress but also retain the invaluable domain knowledge and organizational expertise vital for digital transformation.

How to succeed in the AI revolution: Upgrading your skills

People with strong domain expertise and institutional knowledge who can track emerging ethical issues in AI ethics will be critical. Some of the professionals call these people "people in the loop," as they provide human checks and balances to monitor the accuracy and value of generative AI.

Professionals with high technical knowledge and soft skills will play a crucial role in making AI successful in business world. These individuals will be able to assess the power and potential of AI, focus on ethical and compliance issues, and develop solutions that are tailored to needs of business and its customers.

Artificial intelligence will continue to shape business world, and employers will strive to provide the talent and skills needed to adapt to this change. In this new era, developing continuous learning, agility, security expertise, and other skills will be important to keep up with technology and stay ahead of competition. At the same time, new areas such as AI ethics and human/conceptual balance will provide unique opportunities for business expertise. Keeping abreast of developments in the world of AI and developing appropriate skills will therefore be critical to future business opportunities and success.

Image credits: Pexels by Mojahid Mottakin