Self-driving cars while you watch a film and other tech developments at risk

Whether we realise it or not, in society today people are using technology powered through AI on a constant basis. Whether it’s through creating shopping lists with our friend “Alexa”, listening to our recommended Spotify playlists on our commutes, or our Waze re-routing to make sure we aren’t going to miss kick off at our weekly football matches, AI technology impacts so much of the technology we rely on. However, a new report released today reveals we are at risk of stifling future digital innovation and holding back economic growth as a result of a concerning skills shortage in the AI industry.

The report, ‘Addressing the AI Skills Gap in Europe’, was produced on behalf of IBM and its findings expose a worrying shortfall in skills and an underlying lack of awareness about what types of abilities are required for a career in AI. According to the findings, problem solving is considered the most critical soft skill needed for tech roles among tech recruiters (26%), tech job seekers (35%) and tech employees (37%). However, around a quarter of tech recruiters (23%) have difficulty finding applicants with this aptitude.

To further support with the students’ education, IBM launched SkillsBuild which offers free learning, support, and resources to foster STEM and new collar skills from secondary education (students aged 13-18) to entry-level employment.

Aston spoke to Sharon Moore MBE, global tech lead for government at IBM Technology.