Is this the year that will be remembered as the one when artificial intelligence truly came of age?
A number of different years past and present could probably end up laying claim to that distinction. Consider this, though: job postings seeking skills in “generative AI” skyrocketed by 1,848% this year.
That’s according to Lightcast, a provider of global labor market data and analytics. Its database of more than one billion job postings and career profiles showed that last year, there were only 519 job postings calling for help with generative AI.
So far this year, following the debut of ChatGPT in December 2022: 10, 113 GenAI postings.
“Adding a new skill to job descriptions is often a sign that a company has moved to experimenting with a new technology to making a real strategic commitment to it,” said Layla O’Kane, senior economist for Lightcast. “Right now, a lot of organizations are still in the experimental stage, but as they make key business decisions we may well see this list grow.”
The roster of companies that posted the most want ads mentioning GenAI is a curious mix that includes relative newcomers like side-hustle app Fud; mid-tier companies that have been around for a while like Chegg, the education technology company; and such giant corporations as Amazon, Capital One, and Meta.
"Companies are looking both for people who can help develop AI and those who can successfully utilize it, even in non-technical roles,” O’Kane said. “Organizations like Meta, Amazon, and CapitalOne are in the former category, working to develop AI and use it primarily in technical roles. On the other hand, companies like Chegg, among others, want employees who can successfully use generative AI tools to help them be more productive in roles like social media strategists or curriculum writers."
More established AI technologies still dominate job postings, while Generative AI remains comparatively small, according to Lightcast. Machine learning, for example, has been mentioned in more than 163,000 job postings so far this year.
According to O’Kane, someone looking for a career in AI clearly needs GenAI skills, but also needs other skills around machine learning and neural networks, for example. And those who are looking to get ahead in a field that may be reshaped by AI still need more traditional skills as well.