A recent technology trends report by O’Reilly highlights that the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills is expected to drive significant changes in learning and development (L&D) within businesses in the forthcoming year. The report, produced by the learning platform for tech professionals, analysed data from the year 2024 to forecast how L&D teams should prepare for emerging skills needs.
The findings indicate a dramatic increase in the need for skills related to AI. Notable growth areas include prompt engineering, which surged by 465%, and AI principles, which saw a rise of 386%. Generative AI skills also experienced a notable increase of 289%. In contrast, the report noted a 13% decline in interest in ChatGPT-related content. This decline is attributed to a shift among developers, who appear to favour acquiring broader foundational AI knowledge over skills tied to specific platforms, enabling them to utilise multiple generative AI tools, such as Google Gemini and Claude.
Security is emerging as another critical focus area, with a 44% increase in interest surrounding governance, risk, and compliance. Additionally, there was a 17% growth in content related to securing specific applications, suggesting that organisations are prioritising cybersecurity in their technological advancements.
Other insights from O’Reilly's report reveal a 29% increase in data engineering skills, reflecting the growing role of data in AI applications. Conversely, there was a marked decline in interest in traditional programming languages. For instance, usage of Python dropped by 5.3%, while Java fell by 13%. The report also notes that interest in cloud computing has plateaued, with usage of content related to major cloud providers and their certifications declining across most categories, aside from Google Cloud certifications which saw a 2.2% growth.
Speaking to Personnel Today about these findings, Mike Loukides, vice president of emerging technology content at O’Reilly, stated, “This year marks a pivotal transition in technology, with AI evolving from generative capabilities to a transformative force reshaping how developers approach their craft.” He further emphasized that as foundational skills become increasingly important and comprehensive security practices are adopted by organisations, professionals must prioritise upskilling to effectively integrate these tools into their operations.
Loukides concluded that "the future is not about fearing AI’s impact on jobs but in harnessing its potential to enhance productivity and drive innovation across industries." This perspective underlines the broader implications AI skills could have on business practices and employee development in the near future.
Source: Noah Wire Services