Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, has unveiled groundbreaking research showcasing the escalating demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills in the ASEAN region.
The study indicates a substantial 36% increase in salaries for employees equipped with AI expertise, with notable spikes in the IT sector at 49% and research and development at 46%.
AWS collaborated with Access Partnership to conduct a comprehensive study titled “Accelerating AI Skills: Preparing the Asia-Pacific Workforce for Jobs of the Future.”
The research encompassed insights from nearly 6,700 workers and over 2,000 employers across ASEAN, shedding light on the evolving landscape of AI adoption and skill requirements in the region.
The research findings underscore a significant shift in perception towards AI skills among ASEAN workers, with 97% anticipating a positive impact on their careers.
Enhanced efficiency, increased job satisfaction, and accelerated career progression are among the anticipated benefits. Moreover, a staggering 92% of workers express a keen interest in honing their AI skills to propel their professional growth, transcending generational boundaries.
Employers in ASEAN foresee a remarkable 54% surge in productivity as AI technologies streamline operations by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing workflows, and enhancing communication channels.
This productivity boost is anticipated to be mirrored by workers, further emphasizing the transformative potential of AI in the workplace.
The research unveils a rapid AI transformation sweeping across ASEAN, with 97% of employers envisioning their companies transitioning into AI-driven entities by 2028.
While IT departments are expected to reap the most significant benefits, various sectors including research and development, finance, sales and marketing, human resources, and legal departments are poised to leverage AI for substantial value creation.
Despite the growing demand for AI skills, the research highlights a looming skills gap in the region. Nearly 72% of employers struggle to find the AI talent they require, underscoring the urgency for collaborative efforts between governments, industries, and educators to bridge this gap. Enhanced training programs and guidance are essential to align workers’ skillsets with evolving AI roles.
AWS has been at the forefront of empowering individuals with cloud and AI skills, having trained over 100,000 individuals in the Philippines and more than 1.2 million across ASEAN since 2017.
The ‘AI Ready’ initiative, launched in November 2023, complements AWS’s commitment to providing free cloud computing skills training to 29 million individuals globally by 2025.
Through this initiative, AWS offers a range of free AI and generative AI training courses tailored to both technical and non-technical roles, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
As AI continues to reshape the workplace landscape, upskilling in AI proficiency emerges as a critical imperative for governments and organizations across Asia-Pacific.
The research underscores the pivotal role of AI in driving sustainable economic growth, inclusive innovation, and equitable development, emphasizing the need for a proficient AI-skilled workforce to navigate the evolving digital landscape effectively.
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