The global implementation of AI is slower than originally thought. That’s according to a new report by the World Economic Forum.

No wonder that artificial intelligence in the – digital – workplace plays a major role in the new report. Especially now, with the occasional reports of companies quitting to make way for AI; like last time at IBM. However, the soup is never eaten as hot as it is served. And in this case, the proverbial soup has yet to be cooked: the world is far from being conquered by machines.

From old to new

The previous report from the WEF dates from 2020; the year of covid-19 changed the entire planet forever. At that time, companies were more concerned with automation, we were in Zoom meetings en masse due to working from home, and many industries were looking for a solution to function smoothly under social distancing. Nobody could predict how long this situation would last; an ideal breeding ground to overestimate the role that AI would play in the years to come.

According to the latest report, companies estimate that 34 percent of their operations are machine-driven. That percentage is well below what was forecast three years ago. Expectations have also been adjusted: from 47 percent automation within two years to 42 percent in 2027.

The percentage can then be further divided. The WEF assumes that artificial intelligence is used 65 percent in processing data and information, while the remaining 35 is mainly focused on decision-making and even logical thinking. These are tasks that are usually performed by humans.

vision of the future

Around three quarters of the companies surveyed in the report plan to introduce AI by 2027. If true, the above changes are a fait accompli and the expected shift in employment is yet to occur within four years. However, half of these companies believe that artificial intelligence will create new jobs, so this report is certainly not a doomsday report.

A lot will also depend on how quickly technologies like generative AI develop by then. Large language models can already automate more than a tenth of certain tasks. Coupled with the right applications, this can result in up to fifty percent automation in industries with heavy word processing.

The job description will therefore change radically in the coming years. Almost a quarter of jobs will be affected, according to Saadia Zhaidi, executive director of the WEF. Not only through the evolution of digital technologies such as AI, but also, for example, through the focus on sustainable energy. Some of these “older” jobs will eventually disappear as well.

At LinkdIn, they’ve seen a notable increase in job vacancies for engineers with in-depth AI skills over the past year, but key roles in cybersecurity or business analysis are also much more in demand. And then there are the jobs that just evolve with the ever-changing landscape; New tasks and knowledge will create not only new, but also new jobs.

Knowledge is beauty

There is one important caveat, however. The changes that artificial intelligence and the associated automation will bring are called global, but not every region will feel it equally or be able to benefit from it. Therefore, according to Zhaidi, it is important for countries that are still lagging behind to focus on education and invest in the necessary skills.