Workers in the United States and around the world use generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT to perform a variety of activities.
Several surveys have shown that business leaders believe their teams lack the requisite GenAI abilities to use these products, workers believe they lack the necessary skills, and HR managers anticipate a GenAI skills gap.
According to Salesforce’s Generative AI Snapshot Research Series, 62 percent of 4,135 full-time workers surveyed in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States said they lack the skills to effectively and safely use GenAI, 67 percent expect their employers to train them, and 66 percent said that is not happening.
The May survey found:
-
53 percent of workers said they don’t know how to get the most value from GenAI.
-
43 percent of workers said they don’t know how to leverage GenAI using trusted data sources while keeping first-party data secure.
-
40 percent of workers said they don’t know how to effectively use GenAI.
-
70 percent of business leaders said they don’t think their teams have the skills to safely and effectively use GenAI.
‘Start with the Basics’
According to a March poll of 1,000 employees for TalentLMS, workers in the United States mostly use GenAI to generate content, analyse data and information, and give customer assistance. TalentLMS is a San Francisco-based learning management system supplier.
However, 49 percent of workers stated they needed training to use AI tools, while only 14 percent claimed they had received any training.
Employees aren’t the only ones concerned about a skills shortage. In a separate study of 309 HR managers done by TalentLMS in June, 43 percent predicted a skills gap when their organisation adopted AI.
Related link: Workers Expect Artificial Intelligence to Change Current Job Performance
The ability to use AI technologies was ranked as the top digital skill an employee can have by the majority of those HR managers. It includes the capacity to navigate AI-powered systems, as well as knowledge with AI interfaces, natural language processing basics and models, and ethical use of the technology. According to Ann Weeby, executive vice president of Trailhead at Salesforce, a gamified online learning platform, there are a lot of possibilities for learning.
“Generative AI presents enormous opportunities for both businesses and workers.” However, as AI becomes more prevalent in the workplace, the skills gap will widen more,” she stated in a statement on the findings.
Internal Training
The Wall Street Journal reported that software company UKG plans to retrain its engineers to work on AI products. Other companies have said they “would need to train existing employees to take on AI projects if only because there are not enough mid-level or senior-level employees with the desired skills,” The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a source from Korn Ferry.
Eighty-five percent of HR managers told TalentLMS they plan to invest in some type of AI learning and development with employees, and 54 percent said it was important to allocate a budget for this training. They’re looking at using:
-
Online courses (48 percent).
-
Face-to-face instruction and live events (44 percent).
-
Workshops and webinars (40 percent).
-
Online platforms (35 percent).
-
External training (34 percent).
-
Company-sponsored scholarships (21 percent).