According to a study by Microsoft and LinkedIn, your knowledge and skills in AI can determine whether you find a job easily or not. Employees often have to acquire these skills themselves.

Today, Microsoft releases its fourth Work Trend Index, an annual global survey of what’s happening in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, AI is the common thread throughout the report. AI not only impacts the way we work, but also the way we look for work. That’s why Microsoft included its subsidiary LinkedIn in its study for the first time this year.

Today, three out of four knowledge workers use artificial intelligence in one way or another to reduce their workload. Employers are also increasingly expecting their employees to have the knowledge and skills to work with AI. Two out of three business leaders say they will no longer hire new workers without prior knowledge of AI.

Training paradox

Although AI skills are considered standard, this does not mean that companies are fully committed to updating their employees’ knowledge. Only 39 percent of participating respondents say they have received relevant AI training through their employer and 25 percent of companies say they are willing to offer such training. When push comes to shove, knowledge workers are left alone.

This leads to different levels of AI capabilities. The report distinguishes four types of “AI workers”: skeptics, beginners, explorers and “power users”. The latter category saves an average of 30 minutes per day with the help of AI. Not only your own attitude towards AI technology, but also the company culture as a whole will influence which category you end up in. Most power users work in organizations that promote the use of AI.

To help people improve their AI knowledge and appetite, LinkedIn will add fifty new generative AI training courses to its learning platform. The training courses are available to all users free of charge until July 8th. Figures from the social media platform also show that mentioning a specific two-letter word leads to a 17 percent increase in response.

Bring your own AI

When it comes to implementing AI in everyday processes, knowledge workers and their employers appear to be evolving at different rates. Three out of four knowledge workers say they already use AI today. At the same time, sixty percent of business leaders worry that the company does not have a plan and vision for AI, and 59 percent are concerned about quantifying productivity gains.

Employees don’t always wait for their employer’s blessing to use AI. This is leading to a new trend in the workplace that the report calls Bring your own AI. The opportunity for every leader is to convert this momentum into immediate gains. Read the full report here.