Scramble for AI talent puts cities in the spotlight

Businesses are increasingly working toward using artificial intelligence for everything from streamlining repetitive tasks to speeding up product development.

So much so that a recent IBM Institute for Business Value (IBM IBV) survey found that four in five executives say generative AI will change employee roles and skills.

Yet despite AI job posts on LinkedIn more than doubling in two years, 87% of executives surveyed by global online learning platform edX, say they’re struggling to find people with the necessary skills. More than three quarters claim their business strategies are being disrupted as a result.

“Tech talent was already in high demand and low supply, but a host of new AI roles now need to be filled across all sectors,” says Molly Goodliffe, Senior Consultant for JLL Work Dynamics. “Additionally, there’s a need for specialists that can deal with AI related issues such as ethics and cybersecurity.”

In fact, a WEF 2023 Future of Jobs study, suggests demand for AI and machine learning specialists is expected to grow 40% in the next five years. And with generative AI productivity gains potentially raising global GDP by 7%, the stakes are high for businesses.

“For those who want to avoid missing out, it means identifying which cities will be able to provide the future talent pipeline they need and what this means for corporate location strategies,” Goodliffe says.