When Will AI Skills Become Critical to Landing a Job?

AI is a hot topic for today’s workforce. As the use of AI increases, organizations that want to use AI will also evolve, and seek candidates with the skills to drive their companies forward. How important should you consider AI skills to be, and when will you absolutely need them to be hired? 

AI Skills

The term “AI skills” can cover a broad range of knowledge within managing an AI. This may involve building your own GPT, or simpler tasks like telling an AI to perform a task by feeding it information and prompting it correctly. 

Usually, AI skills include some type of programming knowledge, such as Python or SAS coding experience. You may also develop soft skills related to AI, such as critical thinking or emotional intelligence, to be dynamic when changes occur and be able to explain your successes and challenges with AI to managers or stakeholders. 

Usually, hard AI skills will be technology related. This may mean job seekers with math, statistics, or programming experience will have an easier time transitioning to working with AI. But, the average person can learn skills through programs like free online classes.  

Some industries may not be involved in AI, whether it be because of confidentiality issues (e.g. healthcare), or because the job cannot be completed without human intervention (e.g. a manual labor or trades job). If you are working in an industry like this, it may be less pressing for you to learn these skills. But, as automation increases and AI changes the working landscape, you should still strongly consider learning some AI skills to help any potential transitions. 

When Will AI Skills be Absolutely Necessary? 

McKinsey predicts that AI will replace up to 30 percent of the current hours being worked by 2030. Lower skill jobs will be in less demand, and higher skill jobs such as healthcare or STEM related jobs will be in more demand. The World Economic Forum also emphasizes this job shift, saying 85 million jobs will be automated by 2025, but 97 million more jobs will be created by AI. 

Soft AI skills like creativity and flexibility will be needed by 2025, the WEF says. Hard skills are more or less relevant depending on your industry. If you are interested in changing career paths to take advantage of the boom in STEM or data management jobs, you should consider building those programming or statistics skills now while you’re still ahead of the curve. 

Industry-specific AI skills will trickle down, if your organization chooses to use them. As organizations implement AI, you may find they have learning opportunities for you within your current role. It may be a good idea to find where AI is being used in your current position, even if it’s not STEM, and learn how it may affect your job requirements or organization in the future. That way, you’re also ahead of the curve (and showing off those flexible skills!)

Ultimately, it’s important to consider how you will be impacted, and plan accordingly in your industry. Things change quickly these days, and continued learning (AI or not) is always an important aspect of personal and professional growth.