Indian firms must address AI skill crunch in ChatGPT era: Experts

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) The demand for generative artificial intelligence (AI) skills is gradually increasing in India amid a talent crunch and industry experts said on Thursday, as most organisations in the country enter an exploration mode with generative AI in the ChatGPT era.

There are 45,000 Artificial Intelligence (AI) job openings in India, with data scientists and Machine Learning (ML) engineers being among the most sought-after careers, according to a latest report by TeamLease Digital, a tech staffing firm.

Although Nasscom said that India currently ranks first in terms of AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration, the AI skill shortage is now being felt across the spectrum.

Most Indian firms now focus on content generation with AI, within the corporate arena, though there are several other use-cases of generative AI that are currently in play.

A Salesforce study revealed on Thursday that only 4 in 10 Indian employees are using AI in their current role -- which is cited as one of today's most in-demand digital skills.

There is a disconnect between the skills companies need and those currently used by the workforce.

While nine in 10 Indian workers report using digital skills in their day-to-day work, only one in four workers are currently using AI skills in their day to day roles and just over half (52 per cent) report using skills beyond digital administration.

"As more companies adapt AI and automation to streamline their operations and boost efficiencies, the need to train employees to leverage these tools will become even greater," said Sanket Atal, Managing Director, Salesforce India Operations and Site Lead, Salesforce India.

"Complimenting employees' excitement for the opportunities these tools offer with effective skills development programs should be an important part of every business leader's strategic plan," Atal added.

By the end of 2023, AI is expected to create 2.3 million jobs, with the highest demand for roles such as AI developers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers.

According to the World Economic Forum, AI is predicted to create 97 million jobs by 2025.

"HireMee is exploring generative AI to generate questions around specific skill sets and is engaged with a client in validating questions that have been generated using ChatGPT and providing feedback," Venkatraman Umakanth, Senior Vice President and Head, HireMee, told IANS.

According to Umakanth, generative AI also requires a strong foundation In mathematics, statistics, and programming.

"We do see an increase in demand for coding skills, though it is moving from being front-end/backend developers to full-stack developers," he said.

According to a report by global investment bank Goldman Sachs, AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs and Generative AI, able to create content indistinguishable from human work, is "a major advancement".

Vee Technologies' CEO Chocko Valliappa said that it is time Indian organisations ramp up their efforts to hire an AI-ready workforce and create world-class innovations.

The demand for AI talent has grown 11 per cent in India over the last six months, driven by job demands in sectors like IT, retail, telecom, BFSI and advertising/market research sectors.

The Indian job market will witness a 22 per cent churn over the next five years with top emerging roles coming from AI, machine learning, and data segments, according to the report by foundit (previously Monster India & APAC).