Referred to as a burgeoning rarity in the field, individuals proficient in artificial intelligence (AI) can elicit increased salary offers of up to 44%, contingent upon the specific department in which the position is situated.
As per a survey released by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and conducted by Access Partnership, employers express readiness to elevate salaries by 44% for AI-skilled personnel in the IT domain and 41% for those engaged in research and development. The study encompassed insights from 4,664 employers and 14,896 workers across nine Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.
Furthermore, employers exhibit a willingness to allocate 39% more in salaries to recruit AI-skilled professionals in sales, marketing, and business operations, while offering a 37% increase for individuals in finance roles.
On a regional scale, employers are poised to boost the earnings of employees acquiring AI competencies by an average of 33%, with Indian employers leading the way by providing a 54% salary increment.
The projected average salary increments align with the productivity enhancements that Asia-Pacific employers anticipate from their AI implementations. It is believed that leveraging AI to its full capacity across all functions could amplify productivity by 51%. Correspondingly, workers share the belief that integrating AI into their roles could elevate productivity by 50%.
When queried about the impact of AI on daily work operations, employers predominantly highlighted task automation (64%), improved workflow and outcomes (60%), enhanced communication (59%), and augmented innovation and creativity (49%).
In terms of departments poised to benefit the most from AI integration, IT (91%), business operations (89%), and finance (88%) were identified as the primary beneficiaries.
Among employees, 93% harbor the belief that their AI proficiencies will positively influence their careers, leading to increased efficiency, heightened job satisfaction, and accelerated career advancement.
A significant percentage of workers (83%) express interest in honing their AI skills to expedite their career progression, with Gen Z employees (87%) and Gen X individuals (79%) showcasing notable enthusiasm. Even baby boomers aged 55 and above (68%) are open to enrolling in AI upskilling courses if presented with the opportunity.
By the year 2028, an overwhelming 92% of workers across the Asia-Pacific region anticipate incorporating AI into their daily tasks, with 34% planning to do so extensively. This expectation surpasses that of their counterparts in the UK, where 76% and 18% express similar intentions, respectively.
Despite the prevailing optimism, 75% of Asia-Pacific employers acknowledge the challenges in sourcing the requisite AI talent, with 79% emphasizing the recruitment of AI-skilled personnel as a top priority.
When questioned about the skills necessitated to utilize AI by 2028, creative design and thinking (57%), critical thinking and problem-solving (53%), technical skills such as coding (45%), and ethics and risk management (36%) were underscored as essential proficiencies.
Nevertheless, a significant proportion (79%) of employers admit to lacking clarity on how to execute an AI-focused workforce training program, while 74% of workers express uncertainty regarding career paths where AI skills are beneficial.
Emmanuel Pillai, AWS’ Asean head of training and certification, notes that organizations venturing into GenAI deployment often grapple with initial steps and target audiences for training. Typically, technical employees are the first cohort to undergo GenAI upskilling, focusing on tasks like software code testing. Conversely, non-tech personnel receive training geared towards enhancing customer service, product development, or user experience.
Terrascope, an AWS training customer, exemplifies the application of GenAI tools in enhancing operational efficiency, particularly in calculating carbon emissions. The company collaborates with AWS to establish an internal cloud and AI skills training program. Notably, AWS’ training initiatives are tailored to specific roles to provide contextual relevance.
Terrascope’s CTO, Mathavan Arugalaimuthu, highlights the importance of training employees, including data scientists, on GenAI tools to optimize performance. Additionally, employees are educated on identifying potential anomalies when utilizing these tools.
Arugalaimuthu emphasizes the incorporation of human oversight as a safeguard in GenAI-driven processes. Software applications developed using GenAI tools undergo stringent security and peer reviews to ensure the integrity of the code.
As organizations gear up to deepen their adoption of AI solutions, Abhineet Kaul, director at Access Partnership, stresses the necessity for employers and governments to cultivate a proficient workforce capable of driving current and future AI advancements.
AWS recently introduced its GenAI Competency service, aimed at assisting enterprise customers in evaluating and selecting GenAI products aligned with their needs. The service showcases offerings from over 40 AWS partners, including Nvidia, Deloitte, Tata Consultancy Services, HCLTech, and Capgemini, validated through the AWS GenAI Competency service. These products span GenAI applications, foundation models, infrastructure, and data services.
