Led by Cisco, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium has released its Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs report, offering advice to workers on which areas they should look to reskill and upskill to stay on top of today’s fast-evolving AI job requirements.

The study found that 92% of ICT jobs are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to AI advancements, with workers across 47 information and communication technology roles, including cybersecurity, data science and software development, taking part in the research.

Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of this AI transformation with 40% of mid-level positions and 37% of entry level positions expected to have high levels of transformation.

This latest report notes that over the last eight years there has been a 323% increase in demand for AI technical talent, while a recent World Economic Forum study found 58% of employees believe their job will change significantly in the next five years due to AI and big data. 

With the rapid adoption of AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney certain skills are expected to rise in importance, such as in AI ethics and LLM architecture. Meanwhile, others will become less relevant, demonstrated by the fact that 31% of the surveyed job roles indicated a reduced need for basic programming and language skills.

To meet the challenges of this shift to AI, the study recommends that foundational skills in AI preparedness are given focus, including in AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering.

With that aim in mind, the Consortium, composed of nine leading global corporations in collaboration with global advisors, has committed to skills development and training programs that will impact over 95 million individuals around the world over the next decade.

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Cisco will train 25 million people in cybersecurity and digital skills by 2032, while IBM is set to upskill 30 million people by 2030 in digital skills, including 2 million in AI by the end of 2026.

Microsoft, another Consortium member, has committed to training and certifying 10 million people in digital skills by 2025, and Google has announced over $130 million (£101 million) in funding to support AI training and skills for people across the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America and APAC.

Lisa Gevelber, founder of Grow with Google, said: “The benefits of AI must be accessible to every worker. We’re proud to support the Consortium’s new research, which will advance our shared vision to equip all workers with the AI skills they need to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow.”

The UK government separately committed to reskilling existing job roles earlier this year with the announcement of a £6.4 million Flexible AI Upskilling Fund, with hopes of narrowing the skills gaps within SMEs across the country.