AI adoption: Why younger professionals are ahead
The Future Skills Organisation recently released a report looking into how AI adoption is impacting skills and training demands in finance, technology and business related professions. The goal was to better understand how emerging generative AI tools are being integrated in the workplace.
The report broke down AI adoption rated of the surveyed individuals by age. Under 35s are the highest rate of adopters – at 78%–, with their top restriction being processing capabilities of computers. 66% of those between 35-55 years stated that they use AI for work, with the top barrier to greater adoption by this group being ‘lack of skills or training.’
Mid-career professional’s underutilisation of AI wouldn’t best be addressed with centrally organised skills and training such as courses or software. What they need is time to experiment and tinker with AI tools on offer. That’s the difference between the younger cohort and mid-career professionals. The latter are less likely to have time to figure out the best ways AI can support their day-to-day activities. To get comfortable and confident with AI, which any professional could do with practice.
Wharton professor Ethan Mollick’s advocates in his latest book “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” (2024) that everyone should spend at least 10 hours engaging with an AI chatbot. To get to know prompting and to figure out how AI could be helpful as a co-worker, co-teacher or coach.