How much do your employees know about AI?
If you think you have a team of experts on staff, you might want to look closer. A recent study from Pluralsight found that more than 75% of tech workers claim to know more about AI than they do. In an environment where AI expertise is becoming more important daily, knowing where your team stands is critical to effectively addressing skills gaps and getting the most from the technology.
The AI Problem: Hype vs. Reality
AI is advancing rapidly, with companies using powerful machine learning tools for everything from predictive modeling to security anomaly detection. Pluralsight’s research revealed that over 90% of companies list AI skills as critical in hiring decisions. In short, you’ll have difficulty getting a job if you don’t know how to use AI.
Many businesses assume that because AI is the decade’s buzzword, everyone in tech automatically understands how to implement and use it effectively. The reality is that AI is complex and continuously advancing, and not everyone understands the intricacies of natural language processing, pattern recognition, image classification, and other elements of AI, let alone how to use them effectively.
With even seasoned professionals struggling to keep up, the gap between perception and reality is a real problem for businesses. If your company relies on employees who overstate their AI abilities, you could make expensive mistakes, like choosing the wrong tools, misinterpreting data, or falling for overhyped solutions that don’t solve your business problems.
Further compounding the issue is that misconceptions about the technology still run rampant. In some companies, people are afraid to admit to using AI tools for fear of judgment or other consequences. Some also perceive using AI as lazy, a shortcut that devalues their experience and skills, especially among C-suite executives.
Ultimately, this creates confusion, preventing businesses from competing with an effective AI implementation and employee upskilling strategy.
Get Your Business Up to Speed With AI
When decision-makers believe their teams have more AI abilities than they really do, it’s easy to rush into AI adoption without the proper training or strategy. Not only does this result in wasted time, money, and missed opportunities, but a lack of genuine AI knowledge can open the door to security risks and compliance issues.
Before you invest in powerful AI tools and assume your team knows how to use them, take a forward-thinking path to upskilling and reinforcement learning. Transparency and support can make all the difference to successful implementation and getting the most out of the technology.
This means:
- Creating a workplace culture where employees can admit when they don’t know something.
- Investing in real AI training with reputable courses and hands-on learning opportunities.
- Ask the right questions when hiring and evaluating AI initiatives, ask about specific AI initiatives, or have candidates explain complex concepts in simple terms to assess their knowledge.
AI has incredible potential if it’s understood and applied correctly. By recognizing the knowledge gap and taking steps to close it, your business can make smarter decisions and avoid the pitfalls of overstated AI abilities.
