The introduction of AI is an ongoing process and many departments may not be affected for a few years, but it is inevitable that they will be at some point in the future Since the start of the year, Starbucks , O2 and EDF Energy are just a few of the household brands that have introduced Artificial intelligence (AI) projects. The adoption of AI is growing at a phenomenal rate and is set to change everything about our lives, including the way we learn, consume and especially the way people work.

The introduction of AI is an ongoing process and many departments may not be affected for a few years, but it is inevitable that they will be at some point in the future Since the start of the year, Starbucks , O2 and EDF Energy are just a few of the household brands that have introduced Artificial intelligence (AI) projects. The adoption of AI is growing at a phenomenal rate and is set to change everything about our lives, including the way we learn, consume and especially the way people work. Recent research found that 87% of workers believe AI will alter their job within three years. Yet managing the transition to a workplace where AI is seamlessly integrated remains a significant challenge for many companies.

AI skills are wanted

Issues such as the growing AI skills crisis, a lack of experience in managing AI projects, and harmonising humans to work alongside intelligent machines, all need to be tackled in order to successfully pivot towards an AI-friendly environment. Currently, the number one issue slowing the development of AI is a lack of qualified staff. Last year, adverts on Jobsite related to AI or machine learning rose by a staggering by 30%. Importantly, the battle for AI engineering talent isn’t just confined to tech companies like Google and Facebook – as AI spreads, every industry will need people capable of developing and working with AI. As with many hot new technologies, AI specialists are all too rare and finding people with the right skills can be difficult.

Managing knowledge

In order to make sure they have enough in-house knowledge, firms must look internally and focus on upskilling their existing staff. Doing so not only alleviates the skills shortage, but also allows more staff to get comfortable working with AI systems, reducing the potential for job displacement down the line. At some point, all employees will need to be AI-proficient. Up-skilled employees from these backgrounds can start to handle areas such as the design of agile data structures or modelling the type of real-world uncertainties that AI algorithms face every day. Investing in upskilling existing staff to become comfortable with the basics of AI also allows companies to focus their hiring resources. This allows them to concentrate on filling more specialised roles – either through permanent hires or bringing in external consultants that can rapidly ramp up expertise or provide on-demand advice. For now, when looking at potential employees to invest in, the key attributes should include anyone with a background in data, analytics or statistics. These foundations are crucial to working with AI systems. […]