AI skills shortage threatens global tech leaders’ ambitions
MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES — Despite aspirations to advance artificial intelligence (AI), technology leaders globally are facing hurdles in acquiring and keeping skilled personnel, a new study indicates.
An IDC Infobrief, sponsored by Expereo, surveyed 650 tech leaders across Europe, the United States, and Asia Pacific.
It found that tech leaders are encountering particular difficulties in securing expertise in cybersecurity (39%), networking (36%), and data/AI/automation (35%).
This skills shortage aligns with recent warnings from the World Economic Forum, which predicts that the cybersecurity industry alone could face a shortage of 85 million professionals by 2030.
AI ambitions strong despite challenges
Despite the talent crunch, tech leaders are demonstrating strong AI ambitions:
- 13% are already operationalizing AI initiatives at scale
- 35% are moving forward cautiously
- 42% are “excited and ready” to take on AI initiatives
However, implementing AI comes with its own set of challenges. Tech leaders cited several obstacles, including:
- AI governance and ethics concerns (36%)
- Lack of right capabilities from external tech partners (29%)
- Regional variations in AI implementation abilities (28%)
- The rapid pace of change (28%)
Strategies to address skill shortages
Many companies plan to increasingly rely on external partners for essential services, including networking (49%), cybersecurity (46%), cloud solutions (40%), and AI and automation (35%).
General IT operations will also see an increased involvement of third-party support, albeit to a lesser extent (16%).
“CIOs need to keep pace with market innovations, customer expectations and fierce competition when it comes to AI, while ensuring they are adopting the technology responsibly and effectively, without cutting corners,” said Ben Elms, CEO of Expereo.
“This is a difficult act to balance, and without the necessary skills in place, driven by competition for AI and core networking talent, CIOs should look to outsource crucial expertise, and partner with the right technology providers that can offer the local expertise and growth initiatives that work for them.”
