Digital fluency | Fewer than half of UK businesses are helping employees become AI-literate

Despite business leaders acknowledging their employees will need new skills to work with AI, less than half (44%) in the UK are helping their workforce become AI-literate, according to new research from LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.

With rapid advancements in AI, helping employees develop new skills has become business critical. LinkedIn data finds that the skills needed for jobs globally are projected to change by 51% by 2030 (since 2016), and the rise of Generative AI is expected to accelerate this change to 68%. 7 out of 10 (69%) hiring managers in the UK expect skills gaps to widen in the next five years, underscoring the need for businesses to prioritise skills development if they are to capitalise on the opportunities presented by AI.

Professionals in the UK are also keen to boost their AI literacy - 76% in the UK say they are excited to use AI in their work, and 65% believe it will help their career progression.

Skills development is also crucial to internal mobility and talent retention. Nine out of 10 UK organisations are concerned about employee retention, and half (49%) of hiring managers in the UK predict an increase in employee turnover in 2024.