Harnessing the Power of Generative AI: How AI Is Changing Work and Beyond

Generative AI is already changing the way many of us work, and it is set to completely revolutionize some roles. According to a bold new prediction from the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, more than 92% of information and communication technology (ICT) jobs will either be highly or moderately transformed by AI. This comprehensive report, “The Impact of Generative AI,” underscores the urgent need for upskilling within the ICT sector.

The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium

Formed in April by some of the world’s largest tech companies — including Google, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Intel, Cisco, Accenture, Indeed, and Eightfold AI — the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium aims to address challenges associated with AI talent. “Gen AI has the potential to reinvent fundamental aspects of our daily lives,” said Ryan Oakes, global health and public service industry lead at Accenture. “We are tackling the opportunities and challenges that the workforce will face as generative AI becomes increasingly prevalent.”

Seven ‘Job Families’ to be Most Disrupted

To understand AI’s impact on the workforce, the consortium analyzed 47 specific ICT job roles across seven “job families”: business and management, cybersecurity, data science, design and user experience, infrastructure and operations, software development, and testing and quality assurance. Roles were rated as low, moderate, or high transformation based on the extent to which AI will impact principal skills. Notably, 96% of entry-level and 84% of mid-level positions are expected to be significantly impacted by AI.

The consortium projects the biggest transformations to occur in business and management, design and user experience, and testing and quality assurance. In business and management, for instance, 62.5% of roles were identified as high transformation and 37.5% as moderate. AI can help create product strategies, provide predictive analytics, develop reports, manage large-scale projects, and automate numerous processes.

Essential Skills for the Future

Workers across seniority levels will need to acquire skills in AI-driven competitive analysis, AI integration strategies, machine learning (ML) literacy, prompt engineering, data science and visualization, and natural language processing (NLP). Other increasingly relevant skills include understanding the product development lifecycle, agile methodologies, process improvement, predictive analytics, data management, success KPIs, and statistical models.

Conversely, skills with decreased relevance will include basic data analysis, manual data cleaning and preparation, task scheduling, basic report generation, documentation maintenance, and KPI monitoring.

In the design and user experience family, 66.7% of roles are expected to have high transformation and 33.3% moderate transformation. AI can automate routine tasks, streamline workflows, facilitate data analysis, and create “hyper personalization.” Workers will need new and enhanced skills in ML, prompt engineering, proprietary AI design, Scikit, data analysis and interpretation, product design, and lean manufacturing. Skills that are becoming obsolete include basic coding, manual content creation, and research.

Preparing for the Shift

“Now, those in the ICT sector — from students to workers to employers — have the data about which jobs will change, how they will change, and what individuals and employers can do to prepare for this shift and remain competitive in the evolving global labor market,” said Lydia Logan, VP for global education and workforce development at IBM.

Across the board, the consortium identified 10 increasingly relevant skills: AI ethics and responsible AI, AI literacy, prompt engineering, large language model (LLM) architecture, agile methodologies, data analytics, ML, retrieval augmented generation (RAG), TensorFlow, and NLP. Meanwhile, the 10 technical skills expected to decrease in relevance include basic programming and languages, content creation, data management, research information, documentation maintenance, SQL, manual XML handling, manual Perl scripting, integration software, and manual malware analysis.

Collaborative Efforts for Upskilling

Enterprises must invest in AI training to promote competitiveness and innovation, attracting and retaining talent while considering worker training needs and feedback. Academic institutions should update their curricula to include AI technologies and offer concise certificate programs. They should also prioritize investments in work-based learning initiatives, flexible learning paths, and collaboration with regional secondary education institutions.

Workers, too, must “embrace lifelong learning to stay relevant,” the consortium advises. Proactive reskilling and upskilling through employer programs, labor-sponsored training, online courses, or certifications are essential. New workforce entrants can leverage internships, mentorships, and hands-on projects.

Future Initiatives

The consortium will explore public-private partnerships to develop an “AI skills taxonomy” that will define and map skills to roles and proficiency levels, explained Francine Katsoudas, EVP and chief people, policy and purpose officer at Cisco. They also plan to introduce an AI Workforce Playbook to help enterprises proactively reskill and upskill workforces, drawing on insights from stakeholders such as labor unions, coalitions, academia, governments, and underserved communities.

Furthermore, the consortium will continue collaborating with the G7 governments on an AI Action Plan. “AI represents a never-before-seen opportunity for technology to benefit humankind in every way,” said Katsoudas, “and we have to act intentionally to make sure populations don’t get left behind.”

In conclusion, the transformation of ICT jobs by AI is inevitable and requires immediate action from enterprises, academic institutions, and workers alike. By investing in AI training and embracing lifelong learning, we can harness the power of generative AI to create a competitive, innovative, and inclusive future for the global workforce.