The AI Skills Gap Is About To Get Real
FM (Friday Morning) Reflection #24
The weather this past Thursday morning in Philadelphia was brisk. Still ensconced in a warm blanket with a cat cuddled next to me, I opened my eyes and lifted my arm to see my watch report that the outside temperature was 19°F. I knew I’d better bundle up before heading out!
Layered up and re-ensconced with earmuffs, gloves, and a hood, I made my way to the train platform. But by the time I reached the steps, I was surprised to realize that it didn't seem cold at all. Granted, I was wrapped in winter gear, but the biting chill I had felt the previous week seemed less so. What changed?
I think I simply acclimated. My body and perception adjusted to the context of winter, and I was ready to be out and about, newly adapted to the environment.
The Changing Landscape of AI
This simple observation sparked a deeper reflection on the nature of how we experience new environments. How often do we resist change because it feels uncomfortable or because it happens without us having a say in the matter?
The arrival of the internet is a good example. There were plenty of people and businesses at the start that held back. I recall conversations with clients and the many variations of “I don’t need no stinkin’ internets!” hurled my way when I proposed that they adopt a web- and digital-forward communications strategy. Fast forward to today, and our digital web of connectivity is critical infrastructure that we can’t live without.
I see a similar pattern playing out with generative AI. More than a few of my colleagues and personal acquaintances don’t see the point, question how it will be useful to them, or view it as a threat. I get their apprehensions and acknowledge that, as with any new technology, we must be thoughtful and proactively guide its appropriate use. But ignoring it or wishing it away is naïve and counterproductive.
A Tipping Point
Prior to now, I’d be hard-pressed to identify major negative consequences that have come to those who opt out from using generative AI tools in the workplace. However, a rapid-fire set of recent developments is set to change that.
The first volley came from Microsoft, which announced that its Copilot AI Assistant will now be included in its Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Editions, accompanied by a price increase. The company also announced a new product, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, which is based on ChatGPT’s GPT-4o model and is available to all business customers. There’s no question that this will open up Copilot to more users and uses in the workplace, although Microsoft is charging for their top-of-the-line AI product as an expensive add on.
In my view, Google made a more consequential decision: Gemini Advanced will soon be available to all Google Workspace customers as part of their existing subscriptions and contracts. You read that correctly — the vast majority of businesses that use Google’s tools for their core suite of workplace productivity tools will now also have access to Google’s Gemini Advanced toolset. And while I do expect a price increase for new Workspace plans, I don’t expect it to match the cost of the Gemini Advanced add-on offered previously by Google.
The Numbers Tell the Story
These announcements demonstrate the value tech giants place on AI, both as a driver of revenue and as a core feature of their ecosystems.
As of 2022, Google disclosed that Workspace had more than 3 billion users and 8 million paying customers. As of October 2023, they had over 9 million paying customers, according to Business Insider.
Google has been charging $19.99 per month per user for Gemini Advanced — and it's instructive that the company’s leaders believe it’s better to get it in everyone’s hands than collect direct subscription revenue from Gemini as an add-on (although I anticipate they will take a page from Microsoft’s playbook and boost the price of new Workspace contracts).
The moves of Microsoft and Google signal more than product updates. Think about it. In the course of a month, more than 3 billion people gained access to premium versions of AI products in their core workplace productivity suite.
AI is no longer a niche technology. It is becoming as foundational as email, word processing, chat, and tools to build a presentation deck.
AI Literacy: A New Imperative
The wide availability of AI tools has profound implications. There is an urgent need for everyone—individuals and organizations alike—to develop AI literacy. Most jobs in a contemporary office environment require a basic degree of computer literacy, and going forward, these jobs will also require AI literacy as well.
If you use a computer to write documents, create presentations, develop content, analyze data, or do anything other than fill out a time sheet or expense report, you are now (or soon will be) competing with job seekers with an AI-powered turbo boost in their toolkits.
It might not be explicitly listed in the job description, but the candidates who possess AI skills will have a competitive advantage, and so will the companies that hire them.
I estimate that it will take a year or so for this to start showing up in the screening and hiring process, but it will come. "Tell me about a time when you had to overcome an unanticipated challenge," interview questions will soon be accompanied by, "Tell me about the time when you had to create a custom GPT to solve a difficult problem."
This is the context that changed this past week and why I “stopped the presses” on my planned topic on Friday morning. For those of us who work in technology-related fields and understand the potential with generative AI, I think we have a shared responsibility to engage and educate not only our colleagues at work but our friends and family as well about the changes that are coming.
Taking Action
Generative AI is likely to impact large segments of the workforce, and we should encourage all team members to start their learning journey with generative AI now.
Our teams and workforce must learn how AI tools function, how to recognize their limitations, and know how to evaluate their outputs critically. We must also build our skills on how to effectively communicate with AI systems, design thoughtful prompts, and apply these tools ethically in various contexts.
If you’re a people manager, or for your own benefit, consider these steps:
Explore available AI tools: Start with those integrated into your existing workflows, such as Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini.
Seek out learning resources: There are numerous online courses, tutorials, and communities dedicated to AI literacy.
Experiment and practice: The best way to learn is by doing. Start by using AI for tasks like building a personal research library with NotebookLM, preparing for a job interview, generating ideas, or even writing different kinds of content.
Engage in ethical considerations: Reflect on the potential impact of AI and develop a personal point of view on how you believe it should be used.
Where do we go from here?
Just as I acclimated to the winter chill by layering up and stepping out into the elements, we all need to embrace the changing climate of the workplace and “bundle up” with new skills and knowledge.
AI is no longer a distant prospect; it's here, and it's transforming how we work and live. By proactively developing AI literacy and skills, we not only adapt to this new environment but also position ourselves to thrive in it.
Photo Bonus
Reaching a transition or crossing point can be disorienting - things are not always clear and we may be unsure where our next steps will lead us, and we can sometimes feel invisible when we’re inside of systems where we do not feel seen. I thought this time exposure of a figure about to cross the street, taken at night in the city and with cars streaking by, embodies that feeling.