Four out of five (81 per cent) business leaders in the UK say Generative AI will benefit their employees, according to new research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network that recently reached 1 billion members.
The top ways that UK executives believe Generative AI will benefit employees is by removing boring, repetitive tasks (64 per cent), increasing productivity (52 per cent) and freeing up time for bigger and more creative thinking (59 per cent). One in three (31 per cent) also believe that the rise of Generative AI will create brand new roles at their organisation.
AI is reshaping the world of work
LinkedIn’s latest Future of Work: AI at Work report shows that AI is already reshaping the world of work as companies look to maximise the technology’s potential. ‘Head of AI’ roles have tripled globally in the last five years, and job posts mentioning AI have more than doubled (2.3x) in the UK in the last two years. In the UK, some of the top industries hiring for AI-related roles are administrative and support services, professional services, technology, manufacturing and finance.
Professionals are keen to improve their AI skills – LinkedIn has seen an 80 per cent increase in members watching AI-related learning courses on LinkedIn over the last three months, as well as a 60 per cent month-over-month increase in Generative AI skills – such as Chat GPT, prompt crafting, and Copilot for Microsoft 365 – being added to members’ profiles since January 2023.
Despite the rise in AI, business leaders and professionals agree that people skills will become even more valuable. 9 out of 10 UK executives agree that soft skills are more important than ever, and employees believe skills such as adaptability (48 per cent), communication (42 per cent), and problem solving (46 per cent) will become even more important as work continues to evolve.
Ngaire Moyes, UK Country Manager, at LinkedIn, said: “AI holds huge potential to improve the way we work, and we’re seeing business leaders across the UK figuring out where it makes sense to implement the technology within their organisations.
“However, it’s not just about introducing the technology, businesses will also need to ensure their workforce is AI-ready. There’s a real opportunity for Generative AI to remove the drudgery from day-to-day work, giving people more time to focus on the strategic and human aspects of their roles. So leaders that encourage a culture of learning, not just to boost AI literacy and hard technical skills, but to build great soft skills like leadership and problem solving, will create a more resilient and agile workforce.”
Adam Hawkins, Head of Search & Staffing, EMEA & LATAM, LinkedIn, says: “AI is reshaping hiring needs, demanding a significant shift in skills and opening doors to new possibilities. There’s a tangible enthusiasm for AI among professionals, and we’ve seen a huge increase in our members taking AI-related learning courses. To capitalise on this interest, business leaders will need to provide their workforces with the tools and opportunities for learning and discovery, as well as guidelines on how the technology should be used. Recruitment professionals will need to make sure they’re well versed in presenting the opportunities around AI to clients, as well as to candidates – particularly as we know that applications to job posts mentioning AI are growing faster compared to those that don’t mention AI.”
