Tech giants launch AI workforce reskilling initiative
LEUVEN, BELGIUM — Major technology companies have joined forces to help workers adapt to the artificial intelligence era.
The newly formed AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium aims to assess AI’s impact on tech jobs and identify training pathways for roles most affected.
The consortium is led by Cisco and includes Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP. It was catalyzed by the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council’s Talent for Growth Task Force.
“AI is accelerating the pace of change for the global workforce, presenting a powerful opportunity for the private sector to help upskill and reskill workers for the future,” said Francine Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco.
“The mission of our newly unveiled AI-Enabled Workforce Consortium is to provide organizations with knowledge about the impact of AI on the workforce and equip workers with relevant skills.”
As the US-EU Trade & Technology Council Talent for Growth Task Force advances talent & skills development efforts, @Cisco & 8 corporate partners launched the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium to ensure the AI revolution leaves no one behind. Learn more➡️https://t.co/HfHn9HwvUG pic.twitter.com/dr0jixhZc2
— Cisco Public Policy (@CiscoPubPolicy) April 4, 2024
In its first phase, the group will evaluate 56 information and communications technology (ICT) roles across major markets like the U.S., France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, which collectively have around 10 million ICT workers.
Members like IBM have pledged to skill 30 million individuals by 2030 in digital capabilities.
“IBM is proud to join this timely business-led initiative…to help provide workers access to opportunities to reskill and upskill as AI adoption changes ways of working,” said Gian Luigi Cattaneo of IBM EMEA [Europe, the Middle East and Africa].
An edX survey revealed that 47% of the workforce is unprepared for AI, as executives estimate that nearly half (49%) of the skills that exist in their workforce today won’t be relevant in 2025.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that AI may replace 300 million jobs globally, but many believe human labor will still be necessary for many roles.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently emphasized the critical role of upskilling and development as various disruptive trends, like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are poised to reshape the global workforce landscape.
