Nearly half of global executives identify workforce skills gaps as the key barrier to adopting transformative technologies like AI, a white paper published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) this week has revealed.
Speaking at the Davos WEF conference on 22 January, Marc Benioff, CEO of technology company Salesforce, said that AI is no longer being seen as an application or productivity booster for employees, it is instead morphing into being a co-worker.
“The CEOs here today, these are the last CEOs who will manage a workforce of only human beings. We are moving into a world of managing humans and agents together,” he said.
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The WEF’s research, published on 21 January, suggested that businesses that strategically invest in human capital alongside technology could boost productivity gains from 4% to as much as 11%.
This follows research from KPMG in May last year which revealed that 61% of all workers want training in generative AI. More than half of 18 to 24 year olds already use generative AI to learn skills for the workplace.
Nikolaz Foucaud, managing director EMEA at skills platform Coursera, told HR magazine that AI will continue to reshape jobs and industries at an alarming rate.
He said: “With the potential to unlock $15.7tr [£12.6tr] in global economic value by 2030, these gains will depend on how HR teams can help people develop skills to use AI effectively and make the most of its potential,” he says.
Employees may approach AI training with hesitation, often fearing job displacement. HR can combat these concerns by framing AI as an opportunity rather than a threat, said Laura Overton, founder of learning and development network Learning Changemakers.
“Our job is to ensure that people are equipped and ready,” she told HR magazine. “Learning and development teams should look at the whole business environment, taking the temperature to understand if employees are fearful, excited or uncertain.”
She added that the best starting point is to start a discussion with employees around how they think about AI, to help identify which pockets of people require what type of training. “Employees are going to have a different change journey from one another,” she notes.
Speaking to HR magazine, Sheila Flavell, COO of technology consultancy FDM Group, emphasised the importance of prioritising experiential learning for AI adoption. This approach provides employees with practical, hands-on experience to effectively apply new technologies, she explained.
Flavell added that by fostering such learning opportunities, organisations can enhance productivity, reduce the need for “quiet hiring”, and retain top talent by creating pathways for development.
Read more: AI boom drives demand for training
AI should only be used if it will be genuinely beneficial, said Overton: “If learning and development or HR teams feel they need to make a business case to their CEO or board regarding AI training, then the business is probably not ready.”
“[Learning and development and HR teams] need to implore what AI training means for their business. If there isn’t a need then there is no point rolling out a training programme.
“Listen to the challenges your teams are facing, and find out what senior management’s biggest concerns are. Then you can match these issues with AI solutions.”
One of the earliest interventions that HR teams can make, according to Overton, is to look at people within the business who are already experimenting with AI. Connecting these people together and perhaps creating small test cases are a great way to show management where the potential for change could be, and to secure greater investment if there is uncertainty around where to deploy AI.
