AI in 2024: Transforming Education, Skills, and Careers
The year 2024 marked significant advancements in AI, profoundly influencing work, education, and personal lives. In my role overseeing IBM's global social impact initiatives, I engage with educators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. These discussions consistently highlight AI's transformative impact across various sectors.
Recently, I connected with leaders in art, beauty, culture, fashion, and media to understand how AI is reshaping their fields. At IBM, our focus has been on leveraging AI to benefit communities while also fostering upskilling and reskilling at all stages of the AI learning journey. But how are other industries embracing this technology? There's a growing wave of creators experimenting with AI to enhance their work, streamline processes, and focus on creativity. Their experiences underline that, while AI provides support, the human element remains essential. These stories illustrate how AI is freeing time for professionals to excel in their core expertise.
This trend spans industries. A recent IBM report reveals that 87% of executives expect generative AI to enhance jobs rather than replace them. However, nearly half (47%) of these leaders acknowledge a skills gap in implementing and scaling AI effectively. To maximize AI's potential, investing in education and workforce development is crucial.
With this in mind, here are IBM's three predictions for education in 2025 and the skills necessary to prepare for the future:
1. AI Ethics Skills Will Be Essential
Education is poised to shift from traditional AI tools to AI agents. The rise of mainstream AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, has amplified concerns about shadow AI, emphasizing the need for robust accountability, data policies, and system controls. For educators, students, and decision-makers, understanding AI ethics and data management will be critical.
Miles Hicks, Brand Marketing and Storytelling expert at the Brooklyn Museum, shared: "We aim to apply AI with integrity, ensuring pride in our work. Critical thinking is vital in a world overwhelmed with information." IBM SkillsBuild offers a free course on AI ethics, exploring fairness, robustness, transparency, and privacy to help create trustworthy AI systems.
2. Lifelong Learning Will Become the Norm
As industries evolve rapidly, the demand for adaptable professionals will grow. Workers previously trained for specific roles may transition to managing AI systems, necessitating new skills. Beyond AI, quantum computing and cybersecurity will also drive the need for continuous learning.
Katini Yamaoka, Founder and CEO of Katina Skin, highlighted AI's role in business: "AI has been invaluable for understanding our customer base and addressing their needs." Similarly, Jamauri Bynum-Bridgewater, a recent graduate, attributed his role at a Fortune 500 company to AI credentials earned through IBM SkillsBuild. IBM aims to train 2 million learners in AI by 2026, with accessible courses such as:
Recently, I connected with leaders in art, beauty, culture, fashion, and media to understand how AI is reshaping their fields. At IBM, our focus has been on leveraging AI to benefit communities while also fostering upskilling and reskilling at all stages of the AI learning journey. But how are other industries embracing this technology? There's a growing wave of creators experimenting with AI to enhance their work, streamline processes, and focus on creativity. Their experiences underline that, while AI provides support, the human element remains essential. These stories illustrate how AI is freeing time for professionals to excel in their core expertise.
This trend spans industries. A recent IBM report reveals that 87% of executives expect generative AI to enhance jobs rather than replace them. However, nearly half (47%) of these leaders acknowledge a skills gap in implementing and scaling AI effectively. To maximize AI's potential, investing in education and workforce development is crucial.
With this in mind, here are IBM's three predictions for education in 2025 and the skills necessary to prepare for the future:
1. AI Ethics Skills Will Be Essential
Education is poised to shift from traditional AI tools to AI agents. The rise of mainstream AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, has amplified concerns about shadow AI, emphasizing the need for robust accountability, data policies, and system controls. For educators, students, and decision-makers, understanding AI ethics and data management will be critical.
Miles Hicks, Brand Marketing and Storytelling expert at the Brooklyn Museum, shared: "We aim to apply AI with integrity, ensuring pride in our work. Critical thinking is vital in a world overwhelmed with information." IBM SkillsBuild offers a free course on AI ethics, exploring fairness, robustness, transparency, and privacy to help create trustworthy AI systems.
2. Lifelong Learning Will Become the Norm
As industries evolve rapidly, the demand for adaptable professionals will grow. Workers previously trained for specific roles may transition to managing AI systems, necessitating new skills. Beyond AI, quantum computing and cybersecurity will also drive the need for continuous learning.
Katini Yamaoka, Founder and CEO of Katina Skin, highlighted AI's role in business: "AI has been invaluable for understanding our customer base and addressing their needs." Similarly, Jamauri Bynum-Bridgewater, a recent graduate, attributed his role at a Fortune 500 company to AI credentials earned through IBM SkillsBuild. IBM aims to train 2 million learners in AI by 2026, with accessible courses such as:
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (1 hour 15 minutes): Explore AI's history and its role in analyzing unstructured data.
- Mastering the Art of Prompt Writing (1 hour): Learn to craft effective prompts for AI language models.
3. AI Will Transform Education Platforms
AI is set to revolutionize education by enabling personalized learning and simplifying complex topics. IBM has already applied AI to enhance its SkillsBuild platform, analyzing feedback from learners worldwide to improve processes like registration.
Breanna Young, Senior Product Designer at Hearst, emphasized the importance of knowledge-sharing: "We must share insights across communities as we explore AI applications." IBM continues to integrate AI into SkillsBuild, offering courses such as:
AI is set to revolutionize education by enabling personalized learning and simplifying complex topics. IBM has already applied AI to enhance its SkillsBuild platform, analyzing feedback from learners worldwide to improve processes like registration.
Breanna Young, Senior Product Designer at Hearst, emphasized the importance of knowledge-sharing: "We must share insights across communities as we explore AI applications." IBM continues to integrate AI into SkillsBuild, offering courses such as:
- Artificial Intelligence in Practice (40 minutes): Discover how AI addresses real-world challenges, from chatbots to self-driving cars.
Start Learning Today
To fully harness AI's potential, building foundational skills is essential. As Katini noted, "AI enhances our lives, but we must lay the groundwork." Miles added, "Embrace lifelong learning. Even a one-hour course can make a difference."
These courses, designed for learners of all levels, provide a starting point for success in an AI-driven world. There’s no better time to begin than now.
To fully harness AI's potential, building foundational skills is essential. As Katini noted, "AI enhances our lives, but we must lay the groundwork." Miles added, "Embrace lifelong learning. Even a one-hour course can make a difference."
These courses, designed for learners of all levels, provide a starting point for success in an AI-driven world. There’s no better time to begin than now.
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