WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023

This edition of the offer granularity on technology skills, particularly Future of Jobs Report aims to

the priorities companies assign to training workers to work with AI and big data, as well as attitudes

and other socio-emotional factors. The next section addresses AI and big data skills and the final

section of this chapter addresses attitudes, such as self-efficacy, working with others and ethics.

AI and big data

While AI and big data ranks only 15th as a core skill for mass employment today, it is the number

three priority in company training strategies from now until 2027, and number one priority for

companies with more than 50,000 employees. AI and big data is also the most strongly prioritized

skill in the Insurance and Pensions; Management, Media, Entertainment and Sports; Information

and Technology Services; Telecommunications; Business Support and Premises Maintenance

Services; and Electronics industries.

Among technology skills, the ability to efficiently use AI tools now exceeds computer programming by

humans, networks and cybersecurity skills, general

technological literacy skills, and design and user experience by some margin. In the next five years,

AI and big data will comprise more than 40% of the technology training programmes undertaken

in surveyed companies operating in the United States, China, Brazil and Indonesia. The next most

emphasized technology skill is design and user experience, though this receives less than half the

strategic prioritization of AI and big data in most countries and industries, and only exceeds it in

Spain and Latvia, among the countries covered by this year’s survey.

Although a minority of companies believe that AI and big data has been overemphasized as a core

skill and will decline in importance to workers, a net 59% of companies predict it will grow in

importance, and many companies see it as a strategic priority. Though generative AI has the

potential to displace jobs, the focus placed on training workforces to exploit AI and big data

indicates the opportunities for new roles which harness its potential to help achieve business goals.

These findings are also reflected elsewhere in the Future of Jobs Survey. Big-data analytics also ranks

top by some margin among technologies which are seen as likely to create jobs if they are adopted,

Share of businesses which plan to prioritise skills training in AI and big data (%)

Share of businesses which plan to adopt AI technologies (%)

70

80

90

100

60

50

0 20 40 60 80 100

Share of businesses which plan to accelerate automation60 to 70% 70 to 80% 80 to 90% 90 to 100%

The probability that organizations surveyed will prioritise skills training in AI and big data versus the probability that they will adopt artificial-intelligence technologies and the likelihood of them pursuing automation as a business strategy

Accommodation, Food and Leisure

Non-governmental andmembership organisations

Agriculture, Forestryand Fishing

Automotive and aerospace

Business support and premises maintenance services

Care, personal services and wellbeing

Education and trainingChemical and advanced materials

Electronics

Energy technology and utilities Employment services

Financial services and capital markets

Government and public sector

Information and technology services

Infrastructure

Insurance and pensions managementMedia, entertainment and sports

healthcare servicesMedical and

Mining and metals

Advanced manufactoring

Oil and gas

Production of consumer goods

Real estate

Research, design and businessmanagement services

Retail and wholesale of consumer goods

Supply chain and transportation

Telecommunications

FIGURE 4.7 Artificial intelligence strategies, 2023 to 2027

Source
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey 2023.
Future of Jobs Report 2023 46