Skills gap preventing AI deployment in companies

MANILA, Philippines  —A lack of expertise is preventing companies from deploying artificial intelligence (AI) despite an acknowledgement of its benefits to their operations, according to a study by IBM.

The global tech company said one in five surveyed organizations does not have employees equipped with the skills to implement AI while some 16 percent are having a hard time finding new hires. To augment the gap, some 34 percent are conducting training and reskilling programs.

The survey covered 8,500 IT professionals from 20 countries, including the Philippines.

READ: Filipinos open to learning more about AI, LinkedIn study shows

“We’re seeing that the early adopters who overcame barriers to deploy AI are making further investments, proving … they are already experiencing the benefits from AI,” IBM senior vice president Rob Thomas said in a statement.

READ: Limited infra prevents full AI adoption among PH companies, says Cisco

About 42 percent of the respondents said they were actively using AI in their operations while some 40 percent were still “exploring or experimenting” with the technology.

Apart from automation, IBM said AI could be used for business analytics, customer self-service, marketing and sales, fraud detection and supply chain intelligence, among others.

Based on an earlier study by online employment service company LinkedIn, majority of Filipinos were willing to learn more about AI, with 76 percent agreeing that it would significantly change their jobs this year.