To understand the impact of AI on the nearly 50 top information and communication technology (ICT) jobs, AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium led by Cisco, issued a report on July 31, The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs.
Joining Cisco in the inaugural report was Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP.
"AI represents a never-before-seen opportunity for technology to benefit humankind in every way, and we have to act intentionally to make sure populations don't get left behind," said Francine Katsoudas, Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco, in a statement. "Across the Consortium member companies, we have made it our collective responsibility to train and upskill 95 million people over the next 10 years. By investing in a long-term roadmap for an inclusive workforce, we can help everyone participate and thrive in the era of AI."
The report offers recommendations on reskilling and upskilling. According to a recent World Economic Forum study, 58% of surveyed employees believe their job skills will change significantly in the next five years due to AI and big data.
Key Findings in the report include:
- 92% of ICT jobs analyzed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.
- Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation with 40% of mid-level positions and 37% of entry level positions expected to have high levels of transformation.
- As AI continues to redefine job functions, certain skills will rise in importance (such as AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering, AI literacy, Large Language Models [LLM] architecture and agile methodologies), while others may become less relevant (traditional data management, content creation, documentation maintenance, basic programming and languages, and research information).
- Foundational skills are needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness, including AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering.
