The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium has released a new report calling for the reskilling and upskilling of employees as AI continues to drive business progress. The report, titled "The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs," was led by Cisco and other industry leaders including Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP.

This comprehensive analysis looks at the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on nearly 50 top information and communication technology jobs, offering “actionable training recommendations” to enable an AI-powered workforce.

According to Cisco, the introduction of technology and tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney and further emergence of AI tools, are driving the need for workers to prepare for digital work environments increasingly adept at mimicking human capabilities. Cisco pointed to a recent World Economic Forum study, which revealed that 58 percent of surveyed employees believe their job skills will change significantly in the next five years due to AI and big data.

"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 and purpose officer at Cisco, and founding member of the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium. "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 road map for an inclusive workforce, we can help everyone participate and thrive in the era of AI."

New data shows that 92 percent of ICT jobs that were analyzed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI. Meanwhile, entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation, with 40 percent of mid-level positions and 37 percent of entry-level positions expected to have high levels of transformation.

Cisco noted that as AI continues to redefine job functions, certain skills will rise in importance such as AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering, AI literacy, and large language models such as architecture and agile methodologies. The consortium added other skills, such as traditional data management, content creation, documentation maintenance, basic programming and languages, and research information, that will become less relevant as AI becomes a greater part of business execution. The consortium believes foundational skills are needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness, including AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering.

The consortium said AI would influence the future of job descriptions and identify future skills required, skills made less relevant by AI and those complemented by it, adding workers can use the Job Transformation Canvas as a training companion as they are ready for an AI-fueled job market. Employers, meanwhile, can leverage the report as a training development guide to cultivate and enable their AI-ready workforces.

"As we look to unlock the full promise that AI brings, it is essential that we equip people with the skills they will need, and which they are eager to learn,” said Ellyn Shook, chief leadership and human resources officer at Accenture. “The far-reaching impact of this technology demands that we design learning pathways that will position everyone to have deeper AI skills as the work in our industry requires.

“The initial report from the Consortium is an important step to turn aspiration to action, with specific reskilling recommendations that can accelerate progress for individuals, organizations and society," Shook said.