Transformation of labor market through AI: European countries lead the way
AI technology could fundamentally change the world of work. A US researcher has investigated where preparation for this is given the highest priority.
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European countries in particular are taking steps to prepare their workforce for the upheavals that AI developments will bring to the labor markets. This is the result of a study conducted at the University of Georgia in the US state of the same name.
Out of a total of 50 countries, 13 were identified as giving high priority to AI training in the world of work and at school – eleven of these are in Europe. Only Australia and Mexico take a comparable approach. The remaining countries either give the topic a medium – including Germany, France, and the USA – or even a low priority. China, for example, belongs to the latter group.
Structural advantages in Europe
For the analysis, Lehong Shi from the Faculty of Vocational Education and Training compared the countries surveyed in terms of six indicators relating to the education and training of AI specialists, explains the university. These relate to the goal of the respective plan, how it is to be achieved, what examples there are, how success is to be measured, how the project is to be supported and what timetables are in place. Based on this, the countries were sorted into the three groups. One of the results was that almost all countries are launching or improving programs with an AI focus at the respective universities. In addition, projects are widespread in which workers are to be trained directly on the job.
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According to the researcher, the fact that Europe stands out in the analysis may be because more resources are available here for training measures and a culture of lifelong learning is widespread. This applies to Germany, for example. In Spain, AI-related skills are even taught in preschool, the researcher continues. Critically, she notes that only a few countries recognize that social skills such as creativity, collaboration, and communication are a human domain that cannot be replaced by AI. Promoting them is key. The full study was published in the Human Resource Development Review.
(mho)
