AI: Tech majors to train 95mn to prevent job losses

Google, Microsoft, IBM and Intel, are among global tech giants that have come together to set up a consortium with intentions to upskill and reskill about 95 million IT professionals in artificial intelligence, or AI, over the next decade.

The group, known as the Information and Communication Technology Workforce Consortium, plans to reinvent careers of employees and prevent loss of jobs to AI by helping them locate the right training programs. Apart from upskilling existing employees, the consortium will aid those who have lost or could lose jobs owing to the advent of AI, and help such professionals regain positions in the workplace.

The consortium’s blueprint also includes helping connect businesses among firms looking for specific skill sets. All the companies in the consortium, which also includes Cisco, Accenture, SAP, Indeed and Eightfold along with six advisers, are known to have made big investments in AI. A statement issued by Cisco said the consortium wanted to furnish workplaces with ample knowledge about the impact that AI could have on work, which was important to equip workers with relevant skills.

Some of these companies have already issued an outline on how they plan to go about executing the idea over the next 10 years. IBM has said it plans to upskill 30 million workers by 2030 in digital skills, including two million specifically in AI while Intel wants to train over 30 million employees with AI skills by 2030. Microsoft hopes to train and certify 10 million people with in-demand digital skills by 2025 and Cisco has plans to equip 25 million professionals with digital and cybersecurity skills by 2032. SAP wants to upskill 2 million workers by next year. Google has revealed its plans to invest 25 million Euros to equip professionals across Europe with AI skills.

While all the companies in questions have declared the plan to set up a consortium as a significant goal, they are yet to reveal a concrete blueprint on how they would go about realising this goal. So far, the companies have said they would first analyse AI impact on 56 jobs that constitute around 80 per cent of the top 45 jobs. The consortium will then prepare recommendations on how to go about with the upskill process.

A recent study by the Department of Education, United Kingdom, found that 10 to 30 pr cent of all jobs can be executed by AI. Among jobs the study identified as ones that faced the biggest threat of being taken over by chatbots were teachers, traders, psychologists, solicitors and telephone salespersons.