According to a survey done by Microsoft and IDC, only about 20 per cent of Thai companies have carried out comprehensive initiatives to prepare their workforce for the coming of AI.
The survey, which consisted of 101 business companies in Thailand, revealed that there is a gap in available and in-demand skills across the workforce as the country continues its progress into a future driven by AI. More importantly, nearly half of the surveyed companies have yet to conduct extensive developmental training to prepare their workers to take advantage of AI.
“It is increasingly difficult to think of any job or field that is untouched by technology. Many students today will graduate into a job market full of roles that do not even exist today”, said Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand, Dhanawat Suthumpun.
As previously stated, only 20 per cent of Thai business have developed comprehensive plans to take advantage of AI. 32 per cent have begun partial implementation of their plans. 48 per cent have yet to take any action while 21 per cent admitted to not having any plans to do so.
Approximately 77 per cent of businesses surveyed indicated they would at least invest evenly on employee skills and AI. Only 5 per cent of business leaders and 13 per cent of workers believe that AI will take over jobs previously done by human labourers.
As for desirable skills that organisations are looking for, survey respondents named creativity (52 per cent), digital skills (51 per cent), and analytical or statistical skills (50 per cent) as the most valuable skills for employees in the future.
Microsoft and IDC predict that these skills will be in short supply in the near future due to a gap between the expectations of business leaders and employees in choosing important skills to develop
Employees also have doubts about their organisations’ cultural readiness for AI adoption, with 72 per cent of employees believing they are not empowered to take risks, make decisions or work with speed and agility, while 45 per cent perceive a lack of drive from company leadership to innovate proactively.
