IT workers are saving hours each week with AI tools, but most say training for safe and effective use is still lagging
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Dive Brief:
- Most IT workers said training for the safe and effective use of AI toolsis lacking, according to a recentreport from TrustedTech.Censuswideconducted a survey of2,001 employees and decision-makers in the U.K. and U.S.on behalf of the IT services company for the report.
- Amid lagging training, the gains from existing enterprise AI deployment efforts are spread unevenly across industries, according to the report. Althoughmore than halfof IT and telecommunications workers are savingfive or more hours per weekthanks to AI tools, only1 in 5 employeesin education and healthcare report similar upsides.
- Self-training is the most common source of AI training among employees, with41%of workers saying they’ve learned to use AI tools themselves. Just15%of respondents credit their expertise to employer-sponsored training.
Dive Insight:
AI and its purported efficiency gains are drawingtrillions of dollars in enterprise spend, even as adoption hurdles remain. Concerns overcosts and governance issuesare slowing down deployment plans, but the looming skills gaps remains one of the most stubborn roadblocks.
CIOs have to take a people-centric approach to succeed with AI implementation efforts, with some leaders suggesting companies earmark a portion of theirAI spending plans for training.
Before skills gaps can be addressed, businesses have to align their plans behind a specific platform, according toHeath Madison, senior director of professional services at TrustedTech. It’s a step many organizations are still stuck on.
“If they haven’t even picked what basket they’re putting their eggs in, how are they going to train their team on it?”Madisontold CIO Dive. A lack of training programs can prevent organizations from making the most of the investments they make in a specific platform,Madisonsaid.
“You’re giving someone a wrench and not telling them whether to go right or left with it,”Madisonsaid. “If we don’t educate people on the proper way to use it, they’ll use it in whatever way they can.”
Access to AI training can strengthen a company’s ability toreap rewardsfrom prior spending, according to a DataCamp report published in late February. More than4 in 10among organizations with mature data and AI literacy upskilling report ROI on their AI implementation plans, compared to just1 in 5among training laggards.
CIOs hoping to support more effective deployment efforts around AI can start by leaning on their C-suite peers, getting buy-in from other executives on the importance of proper training.
“The CIO is a senior member of the organization, but they’re not the be-all, end-all,”Madisonsaid. “They have to be able to convince the CRO, the CEO, that there is inherent risk.”
Additionally, leaders should think creatively about what exactly constitutes training, as smaller snack-sized lessons can be easier to consume than longer training modules.
“It’s not 20 years ago,” saidMadison. “Training does not mean sitting your entire company in a conference room eight hours a day for a week.”
Filed Under:IT Strategy,AI & Future Tech
