Despite the high demand for artificial intelligence (AI) proficiency in today’s digital age, a surprising minority of Singapore’s workforce possesses this much-needed expertise. Salesforce data reveals that only 15% of employees in the city-state are adept in AI, despite the acknowledgement that it is a highly sought-after skill.
The majority of employees (98%) are urging their companies to incorporate AI training into their employee development strategy to tackle this prevalent skills shortage. In fact, over half of the workforce (63%) reports that their companies are exploring the potential of generative AI applications.
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AI adoption varies across industries, with manufacturing leading the pack. Approximately 21% of employees in this sector utilize AI in their roles. However, AI integration remains low in the public sector and healthcare, with only 8% of employees harnessing AI in their daily tasks.
Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Salesforce ASEAN, urges business leaders to establish robust skills development programs to rectify the talent mismatch. According to him, this is crucial for Singaporean businesses to fully exploit emerging technologies and build resilience against the evolving business landscape.
Apart from AI, Singaporean workers recognize the importance of ethical AI and automation (57%), security (60%), and programming skills (57%). These abilities are viewed as the fastest-growing and most in-demand in today’s market.
At present, collaboration technology, digital administration, and digital project management are the most widely used digital skills. About 87% of employees in Singapore leverage these skills in their day-to-day work.
Based on an article from Singapore Business Review