Dr. Gjoko Muratovski is the Director of the Victorian Government-funded program, Digital Futures.
The use of AI will change how businesses are operating, and in turn, the workforce skill set will need to change as well. Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently conducted a major survey on the AI skills that the economy of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will need over the next five years.
Close to 15,000 workers and 5,000 businesses from nine countries participated in this expansive survey. One of the major things that their report identified was a critical gap between the demand for AI skills by the employers and availability of AI training for the workforce.
AI Integration
According to this report, by 2028, over 92% of surveyed employers in APAC plan to integrate generative AI and other AI tools, such as chatbots and speech recognition, into their operations. Business leaders hope that such tools will help automate repetitive tasks, improve workflows and outcomes and enhance communications.
Beyond this, 95% of APAC employers across sectors believe that AI will have some positive impact on their organization. This optimism is highest in India and Indonesia, where 99% of employers believe in the benefit of AI.
Inter-Generational Interest
Contrary to stereotypes, both younger and older workers express significant interest in AI upskilling. While 97% of Gen-Z and Millennials believe they will benefit from using AI at work, 87% of workers aged 55 or over believe the same. The 10% difference suggests that the perceived digital divide between generations may be less pronounced than previously thought.
Rather than replacing their aging but experienced workforce with a younger but inexperienced one, employers could instead retain institutional knowledge by upskilling their existing employees. This is an important insight given that 75% of APAC employers struggle to find the talent they need. This talent shortage underscores the urgent need for investment in AI education and training programs to bridge the skills gap and meet growing industry demands for AI expertise.
Salary Increase As A Driving Force
Ninety-three percent of APAC workers believe acquiring AI expertise could help them see pay rises of 33% or more, on average. This potential for significant salary increases incentivizes individuals to pursue AI training and upskilling opportunities, driving a virtuous cycle of talent development and economic growth.
However, it is also worth noting that expectations for AI-driven salary increases vary across countries. The optimism for AI skills-driven salary increases tends to be much lower in high-income-earning countries, such as Japan and South Korea. Japanese and South Korean workers anticipate that their salaries will rise by at least 15% and 18%, respectively. New Zealand, Australian and Indonesian workers project minimum salary boosts of 29%, 30% and 36%, respectively.
While Malaysian and Thai workers expect a boost of at least 40% to 41% in their salaries, Indian workers are the most optimistic and expect a minimum of 54% pay rise. This disparity in salary expectations reflects differences in economic conditions, market dynamics and the perceived value of AI skills in each respective country’s labor market.
AI Training Gap
Despite the demand for AI skills, there’s a significant gap in AI training awareness. Eight out of 10 employers say that they do not know how to implement AI workforce training programs. A similar number of workers say that they don’t know what AI training programs are available for them. This indicates that despite there being plenty of free, generic online AI training resources, there is a significant need for on-demand, tailor-made workforce AI training programs delivered by professional instructors.
Key Takeaway
Overall, these insights underscore the importance of developing comprehensive AI education programs that address the evolving needs of the workforce and ensure sustainable economic growth.
Given the major shortage of workers with AI skills, the only way forward is for organizations to invest in developing their own AI talent by growing their in-house AI capabilities. Failure to do so risks falling behind rivals already considering investing in AI training programs.
A final word of advice would be to remember that every organization is unique, every industry sector is different and every market has its own dynamics. In an AI-driven business landscape, off-the-shelf, generic AI skills simply won’t suffice. Businesses will need to invest in commissioning in-house-specific AI capabilities if they are to stay ahead.
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