In the last edition of VDC News we examined the research by Jobs and Skills Australia on AI use in the Australian workplace. In this edition we look at the results of a global survey of AI use.
The Digital Education Council, in collaboration with the Global Financial and Technology Network, surveyed more than 100 major global employers employing more than 4 million workers in 18 industries and 29 countries and territories on their use of AI. Because this research involves a different kind of company than most of those captured in the JSA study (ie much larger and more focussed on finance and technology) it understandably reaches some different results – and may signal the kinds of shift we will see in the future in Australia with respect to AI use in the workplace.
The research finds that more than half (56%) of employers report most of their team members use AI in work daily, and a further 29% report some of their team members use it daily.
The tasks workers use AI for are:
- Search for information (78%)
- Transcribing and/or summarising documents (74%)
- Brainstorming ideas (71%)
- Drafting and editing emails (71%)
- Content creation (62%)
- Data analysis or spreadsheet tasks (45%)
- Automating tasks or processes (39%)
- Coding (20%)
Employers expect a number of job roles to emerge as a result of increasing use of AI. They include:
- AI Engineer – designing and developing AI models and systems
- AI Ethics Officer – ensuring that AI is developed and deployed responsibly and overseeing organisational AI governance
- AI & Data Architect – designing the technical foundation that enables AI, such as data, storage, and system architecture
- AI Integration Specialist – implementing AI tools into existing workflows, ensuring they function smoothly alongside current systems
- AI Strategy Expert – advising on AI strategy and guiding the effective adoption of AI across an organisation, and
- Prompt Engineer – developing, testing and refining prompts to improve the accuracy, relevance and creativity of AI output.
Just over half (51%) of these large employers have “a basic expectation” of AI proficiency in recent graduates and early career professionals, while a further 22% expect it but only in specific roles, and 20% are “not sure” or state that “AI skill is currently not required” in their organisation. A further 7% expect to have to teach their new staff themselves on how to use the AI tools being used in their company.
Employers identified the following priorities for higher (and vocational) education for an AI-driven workforce:
- AI Literacy – providers should prioritise AI literacy training focussed on general literacy and domain-specific knowledge. They should also invest in upskilling their lecturers and trainers because of their crucial role in “guiding students in meaningful engagement with AI.”
- Developing Critical Thinking – critical thinking has “long been seen as a core competency (but it) must be further refined in the age of AI, incorporating the ability to evaluate and build upon AI output.”
- Ethics and Responsible AI Use – ethics and responsible AI practices need to be built into the curriculum and should include data privacy, bias, inclusivity, transparency and responsible AI deployment.
- Human-Centric Skills – “employers remain unsatisfied with only 25% believ(ing) graduates enter the workforce with strong communication and collaboration abilities.”
- Practical Experience and Industry Integration – employers argue for expanded opportunities for applied learning (eg internships, apprenticeships and traineeships, and other forms of work-based learning).
