In 2019, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) forecast that by 2040, “14 percent of existing jobs could disappear … and another 32 percent are likely to change radically” due to automation and artificial intelligence. Four years later, a 2023 study found some workers had already “suffer[ed] from the introduction of generative AI [specifically ChatGPT], experiencing reductions in both employment and earnings. We find similar effects studying the release of other image-based, generative AI models.”

This 2023 paper was based on data collected in April of that same year—that’s just five months after ChatGPT was opened to the public. During that period the freelance knowledge workers in the observed group were already suffering “a decrease of 5.2 percent in monthly earnings.”

Self-led DIY reskilling programs

A five percent pay cut is an extremely loud wake-up call. Unsurprisingly, many employees have begun to upskill and reskill themselves, taking the initiative in exploring machine learning and finding ways that AI tools can help them stay competitive and work smarter.

In an informal poll among knowledge workers, we found a range of digital tools and strategies they’d adopted as part of their self-led reskilling process. These included:

• IT and data analytics—Employees are using platforms like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT to write code, configure systems, and troubleshoot hardware and software more quickly. Several noted that troubleshooting tasks that would have taken hours in the past had literally been reduced to minutes with the help of AI technologies. As one worker put it: “If you need SQL, R, or Python code, ChatGPT is a miracle.”
• Bureaucratic tasks and paperwork—This ranges from producing “boilerplate” for routine documents (e.g., payment reminders, late notices, estimates, and other standardized documentation) to “help setting the right tone in correspondence” and “high-level thinking through a rough draft.” One employee had begun experimenting with using ChatGPT and similar large-language models to help match free text descriptions of services to standard billing codes.
• Image processing—This includes everything from pre-processing medical images to highlight subtle fetal abnormalities to graphic design applications, where a slew of new tools speeds up rote editing tasks like replacing a wrinkled shirt or selecting features like eyes and teeth for brightening.

Potential pitfalls to DIY reskilling

On the one hand, it’s extremely encouraging to see so many employees taking the initiative in a rapidly evolving world of work. That said, this sort of go-it-alone/DIY approach isn’t ideal.

First and foremost, it will leave many behind, potentially widening existing skills gaps. DIY reskilling is wonderful for independent thinkers, those with an existing base of technical skills, and passionate early adopters. But leaving employees to acquire new skills on their own abandons those who were already on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Equity concerns aside, relying on employees reskilling themselves is also extremely inefficient. Without any formal structure, there’s an enormous amount of duplicated and wasted effort, with many individuals reinventing the wheel rather than following a well-defined path.

Investing in an organization-wide workforce reskilling initiative

By embracing a more formal reskilling and upskilling process, we can support our teams and help everyone build a baseline set of skills with new AI tools. Pearson CertPREP courseware is designed for employees who need support in becoming AI-enabled learners and workers. It can also be an excellent starting point for managers and executives curious about potential professional applications of AI, machine learning, and associated technologies. While working through this 40-hour, self-paced program, learners will develop best practices in designing, evaluating, deploying, and monitoring AI-based solutions in production. This includes learning to extract, prepare, and analyze data sets, train and evaluate AI and machine learning models, and more.

Now is the time to close the skills gap and prepare your teams to thrive in the age of AI. Contact us today to discuss your company’s needs and prepare for the future of your business. Our training experts will help you explore comprehensive training solutions to help upskill and reskill your workforce and make the most of the impact of AI in your field.