Generative AI has already made a significant impact since its debut a little more than a year ago, with ChatGPT and other generative AI tools being used by a number of companies as well as independent freelancers. Likewise, major technology giants are scrambling to invest billions of dollars into this new sector. Recognizing its potential to change nearly every facet of society, no one want to miss out, but with all these new possibilities for applications with AI, there will need to be a boom in talent. Thus, it may not be surprising that AI job listings worldwide are on the rise. What’s even more interesting is that while these increase, IT jobs overall are declining. It seems that generative AI is already making waves across job markets as we speak.
(It’s perilous to program AI with biases–read why in this Bold story.)
With the introduction of any new technology, concerns of job displacement and phase-out exist. This is certainly true as it relates to applications with AI. Tasks that some workers have performed as part of their primary roles will be taken over by generative AI. And of course, training and developing AI to do this is why AI job listings worldwide will advance. But such concerns are often exaggerated and do not forecast reality over time. Generative AI will repaint the landscape when it comes to job markets, but forcing widespread unemployment isn’t likely. Instead, AI will allow (and demand) new skills to be developed that could boost all levels of society. This is the real promise of generative AI, which is why there should be hope for workers rather than fear.
“Being ‘ChatGPT-competent’ is and will be an in-demand skill moving forward. It’s not just about writing prompts, but building a workflow where you interchange between human input, plus AI output, plus human feedback loop with the AI.” – Mark Kashef, an AI consultant and Prompt Engineer on Fiverr
Rising Demand for the AI Competent
Based on recent figures this past year, there’s been some intriguing developments among IT job opportunities. In terms of general IT jobs, the market has seen roughly a 30% decline in listings in the last 12 months. During this same time, however, AI job listings worldwide have increased by 10%. Those familiar with applications with AI definitely have an advantage. And it should be noted that this trend is expected to continue. By 2033, it has been estimated that generative AI will create over half a billion new jobs. This is because at present only 15% of firms have adopted generative AI tools and practices. Imaging the job demand as this figure increases in the years to come.
The increase in AI job listings worldwide reflects some specific needs buy businesses as they enter this brave new world. Not all applications with AI are equal, and job skills in some areas will be preferentially sought. For example, generative AI still requires data inputs, and quality data will be required for quality results. As such, individuals with expertise in data literacy and data integration will be in high demand. At the same time, those proficient at using AI tools will also be attractive to employers. This is particularly true for those adept at building AI agents and in integrating AI into products and services. Of course, the demand for data scientists of all types in the finance, technology, and marketing sectors will rise. This is why it will be essential for future workforces to invest in AI skills development as we enter this new era.
“While AI might replace a few knowledge workers who have minimal competence in their jobs, it is far more likely that [generative AI] will perform rote services that let knowledge workers innovate in and grow their businesses.” – Martha Heller, CEO of IT job recruiting firm, Heller Search
Exploring Fears of AI Job Displacement
While AI job listings worldwide may be on the upswing, others may not be. Many have expressed concern that generative AI will put many workers out of a job. However, not everyone shares such a perspective. Many believe applications with AI will democratize the IT sector when it comes to jobs. In other words, code-writing abilities and other tasks that AI can perform will level the playing field. Workers with minimal IT skills and knowledge will be able to use AI to create and to complete IT tasks. This could well be why regular IT positions are beginning to decrease in number. In essence, these experts believe generative AI will free many from rote tasks and allow more advanced activities.
That doesn’t mean that applications with AI might not replace some workers in today’s job environments. Positions most threatened by generative AI will be those related to content creation. Text writing, image and video creation, and software code writing could well be replaced by AI in the future. Likewise, translation services, summarizing, and composition services may also be affected. But for the most part, other positions will simply leverage generative AI to realize better results. This includes workers who will be able to use applications with AI to perform their jobs better. And those adept at helping businesses achieve this will certainly be attractive. This too will fuel more AI job listings worldwide in the coming years.
“Honestly, I think society is not doing enough to train people in AI. Because of the acceleration in pace of change, significantly driven by AI, governments and society have an obligation to invest heavily in retraining.” – Jeff Wong, Ernst & Young’s Global Chief of Innovation
Becoming an AI Wrangler
As we embrace the inclusion of generative AI, it’s going to be essential to advance employee education and skills. This is not only supported by the number of AI job listings worldwide but by the pervasiveness of AI use already. Applications with AI embedded will become the norm in no time. Businesses that recognize this will invest in a workforce adept at developing and utilizing these technologies. As such, both companies and workers alike should make every attempt to acquire these new AI-related skills. This is the future of business, and failing to recognize this will be the difference between success and failure.
Generative AI and Higher Education Are the Perfect Match–Read How in this Bold Story!
