A new survey from strategic skills provider Corndel has revealed that younger workers are especially worried that artificial intelligence will take most of their jobs.
After surveying 300 senior data leaders and 1,500 employees who work with data tasks, the report titled Better Decisions, Realised shows that 61% of young workers believe that AI technology will take at least 25% of their role this year, with 38% of the 18-34-year-olds fearing that Al will take at least 50% of their job in the next 10 years.
Corndel’s survey also revealed that 39% of UK employees believe that AI will impact them in the same way, yet 82% of employees have no Al training. This number soars to 96% of individuals over 55 years old who have no data skills in the UK.
James Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Corndel says, “Our research shows that many UK organisations are struggling to embed the data skills needed to fuel growth and drive performance. Nearly a third of employees who work with data say they aren’t confident in understanding, analysing and drawing insights from data, which is a major concern in today’s business environment.”
Importance of data skills
A study by McKinsey Global Institute discovered that companies using data effectively are much more likely to get new customers and keep them. This shows how important data-driven leadership is for success in the UK market, yet many organisations are having difficulty making progress in this area.
Corndel’s survey also shows that over 90% of workers involved in data-related tasks believe their organisation has a gap in data skills. Also, about 32% of data professionals say there’s a significant data skills gap in their organisation.
“Younger employees are already acknowledging the risks of being left behind by technology, which is shown in the large number of 18-34-year-olds who think their jobs are at risk from Al,” continued Kelly. “Only by implementing continuous skills development programmes to support lifetime learning among employees, as well as investing in technology and data infrastructure, can organisations empower their employees to leverage tech and data knowledgeably, confidently and effectively, to fuel transformative change and drive successful performance.”
AI adoption fears
The possible impact of concerns over the lack of AI training and the technology itself was highlighted in a recent event hosted by Corndel and Imperial College Business School. This event showcased the AI modelling work of Dr. Mark Kennedy, an Associate Professor at Imperial.
Dr. Kennedy introduced FOO.CASTR (Future of Organizations-Caster), a creative visualisation tool created to help organisations predict their future path and the effects of advanced technologies like AI.
The tool provides a glimpse of what the future might look like for organisations and the overall nature of work. It does this by showcasing accurate models backed by data, which reveal how technology changes intersect with job roles.
Data professionals also pinpointed an increased risk of errors and misinterpretation at work (32%), higher levels of stress among employees (29%), missed growth opportunities for their organisation (29%) and limited problem-solving capabilities (28%) as other key risks and threats to their organisation as a result of the data skills gap.
The solution?
According to the report, 44% of employees see a lack of time dedicated to learning and skill development as a major hindrance to staying updated on changing data skills and knowledge within their organisation.
In bigger companies with over 1,000 workers, this number goes up to 55%. Other issues include little to no support or money from the organisation (33%), not enough access to helpful and current training materials (32%), and trouble figuring out the most important skills to focus on (30%).
The research also found that more than half of those in data roles (53%) believe that training and experience at work are the best ways to fix the data skills gap. Meanwhile, 43% said online training and 34% said better access to data analysis tools and software would help solve the problem.
The report concluded by pointing out the importance of workplace training and development in closing the data skills gap. And that organisations should make better decisions to promote growth amongst employees and remain competitive.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
