AI Threatens to Erode Skills Employers Need Most

A recent IBM study has highlighted a concerning trend where AI is eroding essential skills that employers need most. The study, titled 'Designing the Thinking Organization,' surveyed 1,500 CHROs and senior executives responsible for workforce strategy across 21 geographies and 23 industries, as well as 8,800 full-time employees across 28 countries.

The findings show a significant gap between what executives and employees prioritize when it comes to skills needed for AI-enabled work. While both groups agree on the importance of critical thinking and problem framing, there is a notable divide when it comes to evaluating AI output. Only 26% of organizations clearly define work across human-led, AI-assisted, and AI-executed activities.

According to IBM, skill erosion is a top concern for 46% of executives, while 60% of employees say it directly affects them. The study found that three out of four employees who worry about skills erosion report that AI has already begun to erode at least some of their skills.