Singapore’s AI Skill Climb
Since January 2016, Singapore has witnessed a remarkable diffusion rate, with the percentage of members incorporating AI skills into LinkedIn profiles amplifying by 20 times. This rate far surpasses the global average of eight times the original level.
Finland (16x), Ireland (15x), India (14x), and Canada (13x) trail behind Singapore in the top five countries, demonstrating the highest diffusion rates of AI skills, according to the report.
Pooja Chhabria, an established career expert and LinkedIn’s Asia-Pacific head of editorial, stated, “Singapore has long been a fertile ground for AI disruption.
This has been made possible by robust digital infrastructure, strong protection for intellectual property, and a thriving ecosystem of venture capital firms and angel investors that offer essential capital.”
The Increasing Role of AI in Jobs
AI’s rapid growth and adoption, driven by startups and established businesses seeking to carve out new niches or gain a competitive advantage, have been particularly noteworthy. As we glide into 2022, “generative AI” is vital to the fastest-growing AI skills.
Notably, the skills that seem to “augment” through AI include complex tasks such as question-answering — which grew by a staggering 332% — and tasks involving classification and recommendation.
This growth is mainly associated with the surge of interest in technologies like generative AI, triggered by chatbot ChatGPT and driven by tech giants such as Google and Microsoft.
AI: Uncharted Territory or a Threat to Traditional Jobs?
While generative AI facilitates producing text, images, and other content responsive to human input, it also stokes the long-standing concern of technology replacing human jobs.
A Goldman Sachs report indicated that around 300 million jobs worldwide, particularly office and administrative support roles, could be affected by AI and automation.
The report highlighted the “potentially augmentable” skills in various occupational sectors. For instance, LinkedIn’s analysis revealed that 45% of teachers’ skills could benefit from generative AI.
However, human involvement remains critical in a significant proportion (53%) of teachers’ skills, including classroom management, elementary education, and special education.
Distribution of Skills Potentially Augmentable by Generative AI
- Software engineer: 96%
- Customer service representative: 76%
- Cashier: 59%
- Salesperson: 59%
- Teacher: 45%
- Event manager: 39%
Surprisingly, only 3% of the skills of a software engineer need to be performed manually. As a result, non-technical skills like effective communication, creative thinking, leadership, and ethical decision-making become more critical for navigating through this AI-driven era. It’s particularly true for fields like software engineering, with a significant potential for AI augmentation.
Ineffaceable Human Skills
Despite the rapid integration of AI in the workforce, the demand for soft skills has risen, with a greater focus on flexibility, professional ethics, social perceptiveness, and self-management. Emotional intelligence remains essential for deciding when to employ AI instead of human capability.
“The human is always in control. You still have to use those judgment skills when deciding when to use AI,” said Colette Stallbaumer, general manager for Microsoft 365. Effective communication with business and non-technical audiences is becoming crucial for professionals to excel in their respective fields.
Thus, the AI skills diffusion discussions are shifting from purely technical roles to areas where human skills can complement AI, driving businesses into the future.
