Are we facing the next information revolution? First computers came to work environments and now it is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Given this There are many who wonder if it will destroy more jobs than it will create or, on the contrary, lead us to an era of job prosperity.
There is no doubt that this technology is here to stay, improve the productivity and quality of life of workers, although there will always be skeptics. In fact, and according to Global AI Employment Barometer 2024, prepared by the consulting firm PwC and which has analyzed more than half a million jobs in almost twenty countries, the sectors that are most exposed to AI are almost quintupling their productivity and workers with these technological capabilities have salaries of up to 25% higher than the rest. “AI could enable many economies to end their endemic productivity problems, boost activity growth, increase wages and improve the standard of living of their citizens,” the report concludes.
Furthermore, this new generative technology is already causing evident improvements in work environments, at a much greater rate than when computers arrived, which took longer to establish itself and be reflected in an increase in productivity. More productivity, better salary It was not until November 2022 when AI came into focus, following the launch of ChatGPT 3.5. However, the first job offers for specialists in this technology appear much earlier. So, Since 2012, the number of jobs with these characteristics has multiplied and has grown 3.5 times faster than the rest. “A demand that reached its peak in 2022,” it stands out. Likewise, the consulting firm points out that “AI can help overcome the labor shortage that slows economic growth.” The study analyzes the five large markets – the United States, Singapore, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Thus, it highlights that In the United States, salaries rise by 43% if you have knowledge of AI.
On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, lawyers who demonstrate that they have this type of knowledge are rewarded with a salary premium of 27%. Broadly speaking, the barometer reflects that “old skills are disappearing and being replaced by new ones.” In addition, he adds that “the implications for companies are enormous. CEOs around the world expect AI to have a major impact on their bottom line: 46% say it will increase profitability and 41%, revenue.” In the words of the partner responsible for Artificial Intelligence at PwC, Armando Martínez Polo, “the labor market demands the need for AI skills in the different positions that we all know, not just the traditionally technological ones, so the adoption of these skills independently of our work experience is a necessity for all of us. Logically, this will entail the effort of companies to adapt their selection and training processes to these skills, and, on the employees’ side, it will require the need to update” .
An optimistic view
The future seems to be optimistic in a context determined by the rise of AI. In fact, and as the report points out PwC Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey 2024Far from destroying jobs, this innovative technology is creating new opportunities, especially in specialized and high-paying roles. “AI is the beginning of a new era in which workers can be more productive and valuable than ever”the study states. The PwC survey reveals that the sectors that are seeing increased adoption of AI are also the ones that are creating new roles with significantly high salaries. An example is the emergence of charges such as Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), that is quickly entering the boards of directors of large companies and that offers compensation that exceeds one million dollars a year.
Likewise, this is not an idea that comes only from one study, recently the Capgemini Research Institute has prepared a report on generative AI —Gen Ai at work: The future of organizations—, which precisely reinforces this. “The majority of business leaders believe that entry-level positions could become more autonomous and evolve into front-line management positions in the next three years. Taking this into account, the proportion of managers in teams across functions could increase from 44% to 53% in the next three years“, reveals the institute. In addition, the report highlights that companies in multiple sectors are hiring specialists in the use of these new technologies to lead their innovation strategies. A space is being created for new jobs related to the management and development of the new technologies.
This trend is not exclusive to large corporations; Small and medium-sized companies are also beginning to hire profiles related to AI so as not to be left behind in the competitive market. Bottom line, this ranges from management or assistance positions that know how to use AI to execution positions, such as consultants or people dedicated to marketing, as well as developers who know how to use some of the most cutting-edge technologies. Another emerging and high-paying role is that of prompt engineers, those in charge of developing the questions and challenges that feed AI systems, allowing them to improve and generate more precise answers. These engineers ‘of letters’since it has nothing to do with science to be able to practice it, they are seeing salaries that reach 375,000 euros per year, a figure that, surprisingly, does not require a university degree in technology.
This new field opens doors to many professionals who, with appropriate training, can quickly integrate into a sector with high demand. Workers’ optimism about the future of AI has a lot to do with training. The PwC report points out that those employees who have received training on how to use artificial intelligence tools are the ones who feel most confident about their future work. An example is found in the employment platform Indeed, which provided its 12,000 employees with a budget to experiment with AI. This initiative, far from generating fear, significantly reduced the anxiety of employees, who recognized that AI simplified complex tasks.
It is not gold, everything is what glitters
But not everything is rosy. Despite the opportunities that AI is creating, not all sectors or roles will see immediate benefits. Routine jobs or those focused on easily automatable tasks are at risk, and wages for these positions could stagnate or decline. According to the UK’s Public Policy Institute, nearly 8 million jobs could disappear in the next decade due to automation, affecting mainly women and generation Z. In addition, there is a risk that increasing dependence on technology will increase the pay gap between those who have access to training and those who do not.
There are already many studies that highlight that the most exposed professions are those that work with linguistic models, such as teleoperators, teachers and even legal experts. Now, although these are the jobs that may be affected by the arrival of AI, it does not mean that they will disappear. In fact, a recent Goldman Sachs analysis ventures that Around 300 million jobs in the United States and Europe could see their survival affected by AI.
Now, this data does not mean that the workforce affected by AI will completely disappear, but rather that between 25% and 50% of the workload would be susceptible to replacement. In turn, The International Monetary Fund predicted that AI would change 60% of jobs in developed economies and 40% of jobs worldwide. Following this line, the economist Daniel Lacalle pointed out in The Dialoguesa debate forum that was organized by the technology consultancy Prodware and the law firm Cremades & Calvo Sotelo, that “AI will not destroy jobs”, but rather its main impact on the labor market will be linked to the displacement of “skills”. Accompanying his words, he gave an example of South Korea, for being “the country most dedicated to AI” and having “an unemployment level of 2%.” Along these lines, Lacalle highlighted the importance of training in technology to avoid extreme visions. ““If you don’t tell people how they can take advantage of AI, it’s easy to sell them that it’s a threat.”
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