AI and the Workforce: Industry Report Calls for Reskilling and Upskilling as 92 Percent of Technology Roles Evolve

Rhea-AI Summary

The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, led by Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), has released a report titled 'The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs'. The study analyzes AI's impact on top technology jobs and outlines training opportunities. Key findings include:

- 92% of ICT jobs analyzed are expected to undergo high or moderate transformation due to AI advancements.
- Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation.
- Essential skills for AI preparedness include AI literacy, data analytics, and prompt engineering.

The report provides a Job Transformation Canvas for 47 ICT roles across seven job families. Consortium members, including Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP, have committed to training over 95 million individuals in digital and AI skills over the next decade.

Positive

• Cisco-led consortium released comprehensive report on AI's impact on ICT jobs
• 92% of analyzed ICT jobs expected to undergo significant transformation due to AI
• Consortium members committed to training over 95 million individuals in digital and AI skills
• Report provides actionable insights and training recommendations for workers and employers
• Expansion of consortium scope to include all G7 countries for future analysis

Negative

• 58% of surveyed employees believe their job skills will change significantly in the next five years due to AI
• Certain traditional skills may become less relevant due to AI advancements
• Rapid transformation of ICT jobs may require significant reskilling efforts

Technology Industry Analyst

This comprehensive report on AI's impact on ICT jobs is highly significant for the tech industry and workforce development. The analysis of 92% of ICT jobs undergoing high or moderate transformation due to AI underscores the urgency for widespread reskilling and upskilling.

Key takeaways include:

• Entry and mid-level ICT roles are most affected, with 40% of mid-level and 37% of entry-level positions facing high transformation.
• Rising importance of skills like AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering and AI literacy.
• Decreasing relevance of traditional data management, basic programming and research skills.

The consortium's commitment to train 95 million people over the next decade is ambitious and necessary. This initiative, backed by tech giants like Cisco, Google and Microsoft, will likely reshape the ICT workforce landscape significantly.

For investors, this signals potential growth in AI-focused education and training sectors. Companies providing AI upskilling solutions or those adapting quickly to integrate AI into their workflows may see increased value. However, it also highlights potential risks for companies slow to adapt their workforce to AI advancements.

Labor Market Economist

This report presents a seismic shift in the ICT job market, with implications extending far beyond the tech sector. The transformation of 92% of analyzed ICT jobs due to AI advancements signals a fundamental restructuring of skill requirements across industries.

From a labor market perspective, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges:

• Potential for increased productivity and innovation in ICT roles.
• Risk of job displacement for workers unable to adapt quickly.
• Emergence of new job categories centered around AI technologies.
• Widening skills gap if education and training systems don't keep pace.

The consortium's goal to train 95 million people in 10 years is ambitious but necessary to mitigate potential labor market disruptions. This large-scale upskilling initiative could help maintain employment levels and boost economic productivity.

For policymakers and investors, this report underscores the need for significant investment in AI-focused education and workforce development programs. Companies leading in AI adoption and training may see enhanced competitiveness and productivity gains, potentially translating to stronger financial performance and market position.

AI Ethics Specialist

The report's emphasis on AI ethics and responsible AI as important skills is a positive development, reflecting growing awareness of the ethical implications of AI deployment in the workforce. However, several ethical considerations warrant deeper examination:

• Potential exacerbation of existing workforce inequalities if AI-driven job transformation disproportionately affects certain demographic groups.
• Privacy concerns as AI systems become more integrated into workplace processes and decision-making.
• Ensuring transparency and explainability in AI-augmented work processes to maintain accountability.
• Balancing efficiency gains from AI with maintaining meaningful human work and preventing over-reliance on automated systems.

The consortium's commitment to widespread training is commendable, but it's important to ensure that ethical considerations are deeply embedded in these programs. As AI reshapes 92% of ICT jobs, we must vigilantly guard against perpetuating biases or creating new forms of workplace discrimination.

For companies and investors, prioritizing ethical AI implementation could mitigate reputational risks and regulatory challenges, potentially leading to more sustainable long-term growth. However, this may require significant upfront investment in training and robust AI governance frameworks.

Leading technology and workforce development companies release comprehensive report, analyzing AI's impact on top technology jobs and outlining immediate training opportunities

News Summary:

• "The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs" report finds that 92 percent of jobs analyzed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.
• Led by Cisco, created by Consortium members, and analyzed by Accenture, the new report identifies essential trainings in AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering for workers seeking to adapt to the AI revolution.
• The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium consists of Cisco, Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP. Advisors include the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, CHAIN5, Communications Workers of America, DIGITALEUROPE, the European Vocational Training Association, Khan Academy and SMEUnited.

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium–led by Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) with industry leaders Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP, along with key advisors–released its inaugural report, "The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs." This comprehensive analysis provides an unprecedented look at the effects of artificial intelligence on nearly 50 top information and communication technology (ICT) jobs, offering actionable training recommendations to enable an AI-powered workforce.

Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation

The initiative and resulting report seek to empower workers to reskill and upskill with recommendations underscored by today's evolving job requirements. With the introduction of technology and tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney and further emergence of AI tools, workers must prepare for digital work environments increasingly adept at mimicking human capabilities. According to a recent World Economic Forum study, 58 percent of surveyed employees believe their job skills will change significantly in the next five years due to AI and big data.

"AI represents a never-before-seen opportunity for technology to benefit humankind in every way, and we have to act intentionally to make sure populations don't get left behind," said Francine Katsoudas, Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco, and founding member of the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium. "Across the Consortium member companies, we have made it our collective responsibility to train and upskill 95 million people over the next 10 years. By investing in a long-term roadmap for an inclusive workforce, we can help everyone participate and thrive in the era of AI."

Key Findings: Every Job Becomes an AI-Influenced Job

Key findings from the report offer a holistic view of the impact of AI on ICT jobs, empowering workers and employers to embrace the AI-driven future of work:

• 92 percent of ICT jobs analyzed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.
• Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation with 40 percent of mid-level positions and 37 percent of entry level positions expected to have high levels of transformation.
• As AI continues to redefine job functions, certain skills will rise in importance (such as AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering, AI literacy, Large Language Models [LLM] architecture and agile methodologies), while others may become less relevant (traditional data management, content creation, documentation maintenance, basic programming and languages, and research information).
• Foundational skills are needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness, including AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering.

Actionable Insights for Workers and Employers

The Consortium report provides a thorough examination of AI's impact on 47 information and communication technology roles across seven job families via a Job Transformation Canvas. The roles were selected based upon the highest volume of job postings for the period of February 2023-2024 in the U.S. and Europe, according to Indeed Hiring Lab. Taking a skills-based approach, the Job Transformation Canvas describes each role inclusive of a job description, principal tasks and corresponding skills. 

The Job Transformation Canvas goes further to outline how AI will influence each role and identify future skills required, skills made less relevant by AI as well as those complemented by it. Workers can use the Job Transformation Canvas as a training companion as they ready for an AI-fueled job market. Employers can leverage the report as a training development guide to cultivate and enable their AI-ready workforces.

Read the report

The AI-Enabled ICT Consortium report resides at https://www.cisco.com/c/m/ai-enabled-ict-workforce-consortium.html for workers and employers to navigate jobs roles of interest–from business analyst and data scientist to IT manager to information security specialist–across seven job families including: business and management, cybersecurity, data science, design and user experience, infrastructure and operations, software development, and testing and quality assurance. Each ICT job receives an AI-impact evaluation with detailed recommendations for reskilling and upskilling. The core skills and training recommendations enable employers to take immediate action. 

Our Commitment to Training

The report complements the Consortium members' commitment to building an inclusive workforce with family-sustaining and economy-developing opportunities. Consortium members have committed to developing worker pathways particularly in job sectors that will increasingly integrate AI technology. To that end, Consortium members have established forward-thinking goals with skills development and training opportunities to positively impact over 95 million individuals around the world over the next 10 years. Consortium member goals include:

• Cisco to train 25 million people with cybersecurity and digital skills by 2032.
• IBM to skill 30 million individuals by 2030 in digital skills, including 2 million in AI by the end of 2026.
• Intel to empower more than 30 million people with AI skills for current and future jobs by 2030.
• Microsoft committed to training and certifying 10 million people in digital skills by 2025, surpassing this goal by training and certifying 12.6 million people a year ahead of schedule.
• SAP to upskill two million people worldwide by 2025.
• Google has recently announced over $130 million in funding to support AI training and skills for people across the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America and APAC.

Expanding Impact to Empower Workers and Employers Across the Globe

In June 2024, in response to feedback from leaders across the globe, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium expanded its scope to include all G7 countries—adding Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom to the analysis of the most in-demand ICT job roles. During the next phase of Consortium work, analysis of jobs and presentation of best practices will be inclusive of the additional countries. The Consortium also plans to introduce an AI Workforce Playbook, designed to empower SMBs and large companies to upskill their workforce proactively.

Support from AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium Members

Accenture

"As we look to unlock the full promise that AI brings, it is essential that we equip people with the skills they will need, and which they are eager to learn. The far-reaching impact of this technology demands that we design learning pathways that will position everyone to have deeper AI skills as the work in our industry requires. The initial report from the Consortium is an important step to turn aspiration to action – with specific reskilling recommendations that can accelerate progress for individuals, organizations, and society." – Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer at Accenture 

Eightfold

"This report clearly demonstrates the immediate impact of AI on almost any career, regardless of industry or size. Creating a talent-centered organization, in which the entire workforce can learn and grow responsibly, is the next step for every successful business." – Ashutosh Garg, Co-CEO and Co-founder at Eightfold AI

Google

"The benefits of AI must be accessible to every worker. We're proud to support the Consortium's new research, which will advance our shared vision to equip all workers with the AI skills they need to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow."  – Lisa Gevelber, Founder of Grow with Google

IBM

"At IBM, we have been investing in the future of work through access to education and training opportunities for decades. The findings of this report further highlight the significant need for upskilling and reskilling, particularly with the rise of AI. 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." – Lydia Logan, Vice President, Global Education and Workforce Development at IBM

Indeed

"We are excited by the impactful work this group is doing to understand the likely impact of AI on ICT workers and provide employers with the resources to support their workforce through this transformation. Indeed's mission is to help people get jobs. As AI skills rise in prominence, we're prioritizing skills-first hiring, to help job seekers demonstrate their AI capabilities and to connect employers to the broadest possible pool of talented job seekers across a broad range of industries." – Hannah Calhoon, Head of AI Innovation at Indeed

Intel

"We believe AI represents a paradigm shift with great potential to deliver new opportunities and tools, and our goal is to advance AI responsibly to help solve the world's most significant challenges. Training, upskilling and reskilling workers on how to collaborate with AI and be critical thinkers is vital to our workforce and our next generation of innovation." – Christy Pambianchi, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Intel Corporation

Microsoft

"AI can be a tool that empowers workers around the world, but they must have the skills to use it. That's why Microsoft has committed to helping people and communities around the world gain new and necessary AI skills, and this new report contains important recommendations to take the global workforce into the future." – Naria Santa Lucia, General Manager, Skills for Social Impact at Microsoft

SAP

"What stands out from this research beyond the undeniable needs for responsible AI development and broad AI literacy across all ICT jobs, is the necessity for all roles to enhance their higher-order skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, and complex problem-solving. Beyond the initial adoption of AI, we believe evaluating the second-order effects of these skills shifts will highlight which skills will be commoditized and which will be differentiating in the future." – Nicole Helmer, Vice President & Global Head of Development Learning at SAP

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.

FAQ

What percentage of ICT jobs are expected to be transformed by AI according to the Cisco-led consortium report?

According to the report, 92% of ICT jobs analyzed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.

How many people has the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium committed to training in the next decade?

Consortium members have committed to training and upskilling over 95 million individuals around the world in digital and AI skills over the next 10 years.

What are the three foundational skills needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness, as identified in the Cisco (CSCO) led consortium report?

The report identifies AI literacy, data analytics, and prompt engineering as the foundational skills needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness.

How many ICT roles does the Job Transformation Canvas in the Cisco (CSCO) consortium report analyze?

The Job Transformation Canvas in the report examines 47 information and communication technology roles across seven job families.