Technically HR: Execs struggle to find workforce with AI skills, survey finds

While C-suite executives desire employees with AI skills, they sure are hard to find, according to a new survey of 800 non-executive knowledge workers and 800 C-suite execs released Tuesday by learning platform edX.

The survey revealed that 87% of C-suite respondents say they’re struggling to find talent with AI skills. Only 24% of employees reported using company programs to learn AI skills.

“There’s certainly an incredible AI skills gap,” said Anant Agarwal, edX founder. “I think one thing [leaders] need to do immediately…is very, very quickly bring in upskilling opportunities with AI for their employees.”

Employees need skills on AI prompting, AI ethics, and recognizing when bots “hallucinate,” or ID responses that don’t make sense, he said. Others will need more coding skills. AI will augment every role up and down the corporate hierarchy, he said.

“As we move forward, whether it’s the CEO or a C-suite exec or an entry-level employee or a manager in the middle, every role is going to be impacted in a huge way by AI,” Agarwal told HR Brew. “Large parts of all jobs will be transformed.”

In fact, 49% of the CEOs reported that they believed most or all of their own role should be automated or even replaced entirely by AI. Polish booze company Dictador recently announced the appointment of an AI robot named Mika as its new CEO. Beep, boop.

Human CEOs might have some interpersonal and leadership skills to polish up on in the meantime, skills that Argarwal said are “more value-add in a very fundamental sense.”

Zoom out. HR pros and L&D teams should think now about upskilling the workforce to equip employees with AI skills for the future.

If they don’t, 39% of employees surveyed by edX say they’ll quit a job for one that offers better L&D opportunities. There’s evidence employees are already seeking AI upskilling outside of work. Agarwal said that on the consumer side, user searches for edX courses and programs related to AI have surged in the last year.

“There’s a real challenge here [that] L&D programs need to meet…it’s incumbent upon L&D leaders and HR leaders to bring in these AI upskilling opportunities if they want to keep their learners and…upskill them to meet the needs of the future of work.”

Correction 09/25/23: This article has been updated since it was first published to note that Anant Agarwal is the founder of edX but is no longer CEO.