Gigged.AI co-founders Rich Wilson (front row left) and Craig Short and team members.Photo: Stewart Atwood
Half of UK technology leaders are considering using generative AI technology to close the digital skills gap, according to new research.
However, technology industry leaders are grappling with ethical concerns about employee turnover and the safe and secure implementation of AI in the workplace.
The findings come from research conducted by Sapio Research, commissioned by Glasgow-based AI talent platform Gigged.AI.
The survey found that of the 250 senior leaders interviewed, 51% would consider implementing generative AI to close skills gaps, but 44% had ethical concerns about doing so. It turned out that there was.
This obvious conundrum has dominated workplace discussions over the past 12 months, ever since platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard became widely available.
The survey, conducted in the second half of 2023, found that 91% are experiencing a technology skills shortage, and 57% said the situation has worsened compared to 2022.
It found that 34 percent of organizations surveyed cited an inability to find qualified candidates as the primary reason, and 32 percent of respondents cited budget constraints as a reason.
To address this, 16% are implementing “quiet hiring”. This is a term coined to describe workplace trends where the focus is on upskilling existing staff rather than hiring new employees.
58% of interviewees experienced a hiring freeze in 2023, and 24% of technology leaders said they plan to use generative AI to upskill existing employees.
72% of organizations are digitally transforming this year, but 45% expect delays due to a lack of technical skills.
Additionally, 37% say software development and cybersecurity skills are most affected in their organization by technology skills shortages, followed by digital marketing (36%) and data engineering (27%).
Rich Wilson, CEO of Gigged.AI, said: “Our findings demonstrate how generative AI has become critical to technology leaders in a relatively short period of time. Not only do they need innovative strategies to tackle them, they are already planning. At the same time, ethical concerns are also a factor, making this a challenge for businesses in 2024.”
He added: “Technology leaders are under pressure across the board, but blueprints are being developed to support them, including generative AI and quiet hiring, and if it’s done in the right way. “We are actively working on this across our clients.” base. ”