Tech Workers Retool for Artificial-Intelligence Boom

In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, workers are feverishly retooling their skill sets for a time when every company wants to be an artificial-intelligence (AI) company. The push to acquire AI expertise is reshaping the job market, creating both opportunities and challenges for tech professionals.

Bridging the Skills Gap

Tech workers are striving to bridge the gap between their current skills and the knowledge required to thrive in AI-focused roles. Companies are simultaneously reshaping themselves to become more AI proficient, which often involves significant retraining of their workforce.

Asif Dhanani, a 31-year-old former technical product manager from Irvine, California, exemplifies this trend. Laid off from Amazon in March, Dhanani has been focusing on securing AI product manager roles. Despite landing numerous interviews, he hasn't received any offers. His experience with large language models dates back to 2016, and the technology has evolved considerably since then.

"I've been leading with an AI-tailored resume for the last two to three months," says Dhanani.

To enhance his skills, Dhanani plans to attend a two-week online AI boot camp from Deep Atlas, costing $6,800. He believes that this investment in skills building is worthwhile, even if it doesn't immediately lead to a job.

The Unbalanced Tech Labor Market

The tech labor market is experiencing an imbalance. There is high demand for tier-one AI talent, particularly those with technical knowledge or experience working with large language models (LLMs) that power chatbots. However, there is a shortage of qualified workers to fill these roles.

At the same time, many tech workers are facing layoffs, reorganizations, and shifts in resources towards AI. These workers are now taking courses in AI, updating their resumes with relevant buzzwords, and competing in an increasingly crowded field.

"People started to see the writing on the wall that their jobs really could be obsolete," says Tony Phillips, co-founder of the Deep Atlas boot camp.

The urgency to upskill is evident, with the number of LinkedIn members adding AI-related skills like Copilot and ChatGPT to their profiles increasing 142 times compared to the previous year, according to the 2024 Work Trend Index from Microsoft and LinkedIn. Job posts mentioning AI receive 17% more applications than non-AI roles.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite the growing interest in AI roles, not all tech firms are on hiring sprees. According to CompTIA, new tech job postings have decreased from an average of 308,000 a month in 2019 to 180,000 a month as of April 2024. However, the percentage of AI and machine learning job postings is rising, growing from 9.5% in January 2023 to 11.5% in April 2024, according to Lightcast.

Many firms are investing heavily in AI but are cautious about hiring. Art Zeile, CEO of DHI Group, notes that many companies start with business consultants for AI pilots or prototypes rather than full-time hires.

"The large companies are starting with business consultants to do pilots or prototypes," says Zeile.

Tech professionals, particularly those at desirable tech companies, are leaving to join AI-focused firms. Nancy Xu, founder of Moonhub, highlights that many workers want to solve problems in AI, which drives them to switch companies.

"They might be at a desirable tech company, but they're leaving these companies because they want to go to an AI company," says Xu.

Firms like OpenAI are open to hiring workers new to AI, emphasizing a willingness to learn over prior experience. Elena Chatziathanasiadou, who runs OpenAI's residency program, states that commitment to the company's mission is crucial.

"We care about people being able to understand the field," says Chatziathanasiadou.

Building a Future in AI

For many tech workers, reskilling involves gaining a foundational understanding of AI theory, coding skills, and soft skills like learning agility and cross-collaboration. Anna X. Wang, head of AI at the education-tech company Multiverse, emphasizes the need for these diverse skill sets when building a machine-learning engineering team.

"It's hard enough to find the first two, but when you add the third requirement of 'not just toying around with ChatGPT' but truly understanding which AI tools should be used for solving what problem, the field gets very thin," says Wang.

Large tech companies are also investing in upskilling their workforce. Salesforce's training platform, Trailhead, offers 43 AI-related courses, with over 60,000 employees having taken at least one AI course.

"We believe that everyone should be reskilled and have the tools they need to succeed in this new world," says Jayesh Govindarajan, senior vice president of Salesforce AI.

Juliet Kelso, a consultant who has worked on AI projects at Meta and Google, pivoted into AI by self-learning and identifying the best AI tools for different business use cases. She has since founded Oasis Collective, a group in San Francisco that hosts networking and education events for women in AI.

"There's this hierarchy of coolness within AI founders. The lowest rung of coolness would be if you have a company and you're just literally using AI tools integrated into your offering and just calling yourself an AI company," says Kelso.

Conclusion

The AI boom is transforming the tech job market, driving both companies and workers to adapt rapidly. While challenges exist, the opportunities for those who upskill and stay ahead of the curve are substantial. Whether through formal education or self-directed learning, the future of tech work is undoubtedly intertwined with artificial intelligence.