In the quest to enhance work efficiency and productivity, people have been incorporating various technologies into the workplace, such as PCs, the internet, mobile devices, IoT, cloud computing, 5G/6G, and blockchain, each sparking productivity revolutions to varying degrees or natures. Today, the most attention-grabbing technology driving a fresh evolution in the workplace is undoubtedly AI. LinkedIn, the professional networking site, recently released its “Future of Work Report,” which elaborates on the diffusion rates of AI among office workers and various professions in different countries. With AI automating many job sectors, the report emphasizes the increasing importance of soft skills.
LinkedIn published its latest “Future of Work Report,” collecting data from 25 countries. Singapore emerges as the country with the highest AI adoption rate globally. Since the beginning of 2016, the proportion of Singapore’s LinkedIn community members adding AI skills to their profiles has grown 20 times (compared to a global average growth rate of just over 8%). Singapore is followed by Finland (16 times), Ireland (15 times), India (14 times), and Canada (13 times) as the top five countries with the highest AI skills adoption rates.
LinkedIn attributes Singapore’s rapid AI development to its robust digital infrastructure, a robust framework for protecting intellectual property rights, and a thriving investment ecosystem dedicated to AI technology.
Up to 300 Million Jobs Worldwide Affected by AI and Automation
In 2022, the member profile data on LinkedIn revealed that the five fastest-growing AI skills were all related to generative AI: question answering (with the most astonishing growth rate of 332%), classification (43%), recommendation systems (40%), computer vision (32%), and natural language processing (NLP, 19%). Since the advent of generative AI, with products like Google, Microsoft, and Meta launching generative AI products, it has become the hottest technology worldwide. As a member of the Microsoft family, LinkedIn also introduced new features in May, allowing members to create AI-generated recruitment messages, job descriptions, and user profiles.
While ubiquitous generative AI can effectively enhance work efficiency and productivity, it has also raised concerns about AI taking over jobs. Goldman Sachs pointed out in a report that up to 300 million jobs worldwide could be affected by AI and automation, deepening these concerns.
LinkedIn’s analysis platform found that software engineers had the highest proportion (up to 96%) of their tasks being “delegated” to AI, meaning only 3% of their skills required manual execution by software engineers themselves. Following them were customer service representatives (76%), cashiers (59%), salespersons (59%), teachers (45%), and event managers (39%). Professions like oilfield operators (1%), environmental health and safety experts (3%), nurses (6%), and doctors (7%) had the least chance of their job skills being replaced by AI.
LinkedIn: Soft Skills Are Becoming Increasingly Important in the Battle Against AI
It is evident that AI will undoubtedly alter the way many people work, and as a result, interpersonal skills like creativity, leadership, and communication will become increasingly important. LinkedIn believes that software engineers can utilize interpersonal skills as a critical area for “more effective communication with business and non-technical audiences.”
As AI makes it possible to automate more jobs, soft skills are becoming increasingly important. Using the example of the United States, the report states that the fastest-growing soft skills in market demand after November 2022 were flexibility, professional ethics, social insight, and self-management. Similarly, Microsoft’s “2023 Work Trend Index” report found that leaders consider the three most important soft skills to be analytical judgment, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. Especially in the era of generative AI, emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in “deciding when to use AI instead of humans.
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